I'm Ira Flato, and you're listening to Science Friday. Today on the podcast, thinking about

spaceflight and risk. Forty years ago, this week, the space shuttle challenger exploded in

flight, 73 seconds after it had lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center. All seven crew members were killed.

In the months that followed, the tragedy was traced to a failed O-ring in one of the shuttle's rocket

boosters due to the cold temperatures at launch time. Now with Artemis II mission, preparing for a launch

to circle the moon, what have we learned about space flight and risk?

Joining me now is Jim Weatherby. He's thought a lot about this question. He's a former NASA

astronaut who went to space six times, commanding five shuttle missions, more than anyone

else. And later he became head of flight crew operations for NASA. He's also the author of the book

Controlling Risk, 30 Techniques for Operating Excellence. Welcome to Science Friday. Thank you very

much. Ira, how are you today? Thank you. I'm very fine. When the Challenger disaster

occurred in 86, you had been selected as an astronaut, but you had not flown yet. Did that change

how you thought about the job and the mission and the risks? Well, I was accepted in 1984, so I had

been an astronaut for two years. In fact, the first launch I ever saw in person was the Challenger

accident. I was down at the Kennedy Space Center,

relaying weather information and wind information to the Mission Control Center. I would have to say,

no, it really didn't. I had been a naval aviator for about 10 years, I think, and I had seen and experienced, tragically, death and destruction.

And I have a theory that it really affects you one time.

And then after that, although still tragic, you're able to process and think about the mission.

I knew spaceflight was inherently dangerous, and so that did not change my opinion at all.

I remember how people were surprised that the accident occurred, but it was the part of accepting that as part of the risk?

Well, I would say it quite differently, Ira.

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