In 1983, after nearly a decade of mid-level involvement with the Space Shuttle program, Silveira became NASA's Chief Engineer. In the aftermath of the Space Shuttle "Challenger" disaster in January 1986, he collaborated with an independent review board to investigate the causes of the disaster. Silveira retired from NASA in 1987, though he retained many links to the organization. He briefly worked for the Ford Aerospace Corporation, before becoming a consultant with the United States Department of Defense.