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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1996)
w NASA learned from tragedy By Chad Lorenz Senior Reporter Although Jan. 28, 1986, was a day of tragedy, it marked a new era in NASA operations. From the Challenger space shuttle disaster, NASA learned a safer and more secure approach to its manned space missions, NASA spokesman James Hartfield said. “Without a doubt, the changes made at NASA were totally needed,” Hartfield said. After the Challenger accident, NASA grounded the shuttle pro gram for 31 months before launch ing Discovery, he said. During that time, the Rogers Commission, headed by William P. Rogers, investigated the accident and conducted a complete review of the shuttles’ mechanical design and NASA procedures, Hartfield said. The Challenger explosion was caused by hot gas leaking from a segment of a solid rocket booster. The gas ignited the orange fuel tank containing liquid hydrogen and There’s not a person at NASA or in the world who wanted to learn such a lesson through such a tragedy. ” JAMES HARTFIELD NASA spokesman oxygen, a volatile compound. The gas leaked around a rubber o-ring seal that had become brittle from the cold morning air. The commission recommended a complete redesign of the booster rockets, Hartfield said. Engineers added a second rub ber o-ring to each segment of the rockets, designed a lip around the segments to prevent leakage and put heaters in the joints to keep them from freezing. NASA also made a policy pro hibiting launches when the tem perature dropped below 40 degrees, Hartfield said. Delaying launches has become more common since the Challenger accident, Hartfield said. NASA’s top administrators must unanimously authorize every shuttle launch, he said. Until the Challenger catastrophe, NASA feared the pub lic would interpret delays as fail ures, he said. “There’s some thought that NASA felt a great deal of pressure to launch on time,” Hartfield said. The accident taught the public to be patient with the space pro gram and realize delays were nec essary precautions, he said. With the shuttle’s redesign came a new consciousness for the risk involved in manned missions, he said. Before the Challenger tragedy, NASA flew some shuttle missions under a commercial flag, Hartfield said. See NASA on 6 h Impact on generation difficult to measure . From Staff Reports Although the Challenger di saster may have shocked school children in 1986, those children probably grew up without much permanent negative impact, two UNL psychology professors said Thursday. Mario Scalora, a research as sistant professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families and the Law, said the impact of the disaster needed to be measured on an individual ba sis. “It’s easy to say, 'Where were you when this happened?’ Scalora said. “But it’s hard to say what the effects on the entire Generation X are. “It depends on how big an im pact it had on each individual per son.” Ross Thompson, a UNL de velopmental psychology profes sor, said students would be af fected only if they had strong ties to the disaster. If the mission to take teacher Christa McAuliffe into space was talked about a lot at home or school, then the impact would be greater, Thompson said. “For some college students, it may have had a personal effect if they were following the space pro gram, or if their parents had an interest in it,” he said. But for others, if the space shuttle missions weren’t a bigpart of their lives, impact would be less, he said. “It always depends on the per son and the situation,” Thompson said. “Some kids were barely touched at all, and it bears no lingering effects on them as col lege students or to their genera tion.” • Lecture Notes • Course Packets • Resume Services • Copy & Bindery • Fax Services • Laminating Sometimes going to class just isn't enough. We take notes in your classes! Grade A NoteTakers are Seniors and Grad Students. They attend class and take accurate and complete lecture notes. These notes can make great supplemental study guides. Give us a call at 477-7400 for a complete class listing. Grade A Notes at Nebraska Bookstore Lower Level • 13th & Q Street • 477-7400 TALENT AUDITIONS For Singers & Dancers "All the World's a Stage" at Worlds of Fun from our lively 60's - 70's rock revue, STAX OF WAX, to our spectacular contemporary country music show at the Tivoli Music Hall. Performing at Worlds of Fun is FUN, and it can be that important First Step toward a professional career. More than 1.3 million Worlds of Fun Guests are waiting to di«cover YOU! AUDITION INSTRUCTIONS - -‘-’a -'Vi If you are a singer, please sing one verse and chonis of two contrasting styles of song: one up-tempo and one ballad. Sing any type music you enjoy: rock, country, show times, etc. (No Rap.) Singer auditions should be no longer than three minutes in length. Dancers should prepare one song to sing and a jazz routine no longer than two minutes. You must provide your own accompaniment whether it be a pianist or a cassette tape. We will provide a cassette deck and a piano. A cappella auditions will not be accepted. We are not auditioning bands, solo instrumentalistsor dramatic actors. THE CLOSEST AUDITIONS: Lincoln, Nebraska Thursday, February 1 - University of Nebraska Westbrook Music Building - Room #119 3:30 p.m. (Registration closes at 5:00 p.m.) Overland Park, Kansas Saturday, January 27 - Doubletree Hotel 10100 College Blvd. (Just off of 69 Highway south.) 9:00 a.m. (Registration closes at 1:00 p.m.) Kansas City, Missouri Sunday, February 4 - Park Place Hotel 1601 N. Universal Avenue (Just off Front Street at I-* 1:00 p.m. (Registration closes at 4:00 p.m.) ♦Applicants must be at least 16 years of age by 5-5-96. For more information and a complete audition schedule, contact the Worlds of Fun Live Entertainment Department at (816) 454-4545, Ext. 1350. E.O.E. Now 'til January 28th, save even more at Harold’s by deducting an X-TRA 20% from the markdown price of merchandise already reduced 25% to 50%! EXAMPLE: Original price $70, it's on sale for $39.90... take an extra 20% off...your price is just $31.50! Look For The Red X Tags & Signs.' One Pacific Place, Omaha