Read the article posted in Blackboard (space shuttle.pdf) concerning the failures of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.Consider and discuss the following questions:

1. Engineering codes of ethics require engineers to protect the safety and health of the public in the course of their duties. In the context of the Challenger accident, did the engineers at Thiokol and at NASA protect the safety and health of the public?

2. The Columbia tragedy was attributed to a foam strike on the shuttle's wing. This sort of strike had occurred often during previous launches and had caused no serious incidents. How much and what type of evidence of possible failure should be required in order to halt an operation such as a shuttle launch?

3. Do you believe that the decision to launch Challenger constituted an ethics violation? Do you believe the decision to launch Columbia constituted an ethics violation?

Keep in mind the following:

1. This is a formal assignment, and it should be written in a formal manner. That means you should not have any spelling or grammatical errors, it should be written in correct, proper English, and the style and organization should be professional.

2. You must write in your own words. You may not take text directly from any website or other source. Note that doing so is plagiarism and is a violation of the ASU Academic Integrity Policy.

3. You must cite direct quotations, paraphrasing of passages, other people's ideas, use of someone else's work (including another student's work) and use of your own previous work.

4. Use 11 or 12 point font and 1½ line spacing. Margins should be exactly 1 inch all around.

5. It is expected that your submittal will be 400-600 words in length.

Article: The Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia Accidents