Challenger Space Shuttle Project Failure (Risk & Cost ) The immediate cause of the Challenger disaster was the failure of two rubber O-rings to seal a joint between the two lower segments of the right-hand solid rocket booster. This failure was due to severe cold, and it opened a path for hot exhaust gas to escape from inside the booster during the shuttle's ascent. BACKGROUND Managers seeking to assess risk within complex systems face enormous challenges. They must identify a seemingly endless number of risks and develop contingency plans accordingly. In 1976, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled the world's first reusable manned spacecraft, known as the space shuttle. Five years later, shuttle flights began when Columbia travelled into space on a 54-hour mission. Launched by two solid-rocket boosters and an external tank, the aircraft-like shuttle entered into orbit around Earth. When the mission was completed, the shuttle fired engines to reduce speed and, after descending through the atmosphere, landed like a glider. Early shuttles took satellite equipment into space and carried out various scientific experiments. (History.com). the second NASA space shuttle to enter service was the challenger, its median voyage was planned for 4th April 1983, and