NASA’s Shuttle program can be defined as a very complex system. In complex systems, one small malfunction can have disastrous consequences. After closely examining what went wrong in both these disasters, it was discovered that there were early warning signs that were either ignored or were discounted. The O-rings in previous flights held in cold temperatures; in previous flights debris had dented other orbiters, but did not cause problems. NASA explained these problems as “lying within an acceptable range”.
Using the utility principle, do you think that the benefits (scientific research, space flight, ect.), outweighed the costs (killing of astronauts)? Explain your answer in terms of a cost benefit analysis.