****Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSIONon the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident****
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****Preface****
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[**1**] The accident of SpaceShuttle Challenger, mission 51-L, interrupting for a time one of themost productive engineering, scientific and exploratory programs inhistory, evoked a wide range of deeply felt public responses. Therewas grief and sadness for the loss of seven brave members of thecrew; firm national resolve that those men and women be foreverenshrined in the annals of American heroes, and a determination,based on that resolve and in their memory, to strengthen the SpaceShuttle program so that this tragic event will become a milestone onthe way to achieving the full potential that space offers tomankind.

The President, who was moved and troubled bythis accident in a very personal way, appointed an independentCommission made up of persons not connected with the mission toinvestigate it. The mandate of the Commission was to:

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1. Review the circumstancessurrounding the accident to establish the probable cause or causes ofthe accident; and

2. Develop recommendations for corrective orother action based upon the Commission's findings anddeterminations.

Immediately after being appointed, theCommission moved forward with its investigation and, with the fullsupport of the White House, held public hearings dealing with thefacts leading up to the accident. In a closed society other optionsare available; in an open society-unless classified matters areinvolved-other options are not, either as matter of law or as apractical matter.

In this case a vigorous investigation and fulldisclosure of the facts were necessary. The way to deal with afailure of this magnitude is to disclose all the facts fully andopenly; to take immediate steps to correct mistakes that led to thefailure; and to continue the program with renewed confidence anddetermination.

The Commission construed its mandate somewhatbroadly to include recommendations on safety matters not necessarilyinvolved in this accident but which require attention to make futureflights safer. Careful attention was given to concerns expressed byastronauts because the Space Shuttle program will only succeed if thehighly qualified men and women who fly the Shuttle have confidence inthe system.

However, the Commission did not construe itsmandate to require a detailed investigation of all aspects of theSpace Shuttle program; to review budgetary matters; or to interferewith or supersede Congress in any way in the performance of itsduties. Rather, the Commission focused its attention on the safetyaspects of future flights based on the lessons learned from theinvestigation with the objective being to return to safeflight.

Congress recognized the desirability, in thefirst instance, of having a single investigation of this nationaltragedy. It very responsibly agreed to await the Commission'sfindings before deciding what further action might be necessary tocarry out its responsibilities.

For the first several days after the accident-possibly because of the trauma resulting from the accident-NASAappeared to be withholding information about the accident from thepublic. After the Commission began its work, and at its suggestion,NASA began releasing a great deal of information that helped toreassure the public that all aspects of the accident were beinginvestigated and that the full story was being told in an orderly andthorough manner.

Following the suggestion of the Commission,NASA established several teams of persons not involved in the mission51-L launch process to support the Commission and its panels. TheseNASA teams have cooperated with the Commission in every aspect of itswork. The result has been a comprehensive and completeinvestigation.

The Commission believes that its investigationand report have been responsive to the request of the President andhopes that they will serve the best interests of the nation inrestoring the United States space program to its preeminent positionin the world. 

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