[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on The Failure of NASA
Introduction
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—as the global leader in all areas of spaceflight and space science—is a unique organization in terms of size, mission, constraints, complexity and motivations. NASA’s flagship endeavor—human spaceflight—is extremely risky and one of the most complicated tasks undertaken by man. It is well accepted that the tragic destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger on 28 January 1986 was the result of organizational failure. The surprising disintegration of the Space Shuttle Columbia in February 2003—nearly 17 years to the day after Challenger—was a shocking reminder of how seemingly innocuous details play important roles in risky systems and organizations.
NASA as an organization has changed considerably over the 42 years of its existence. If it is serious about minimizing failure and promoting its mission, perhaps the most intense period of organizational change lies in its immediate future. This paper outlines some of the critical features of NASA’s organization and organizational change, namely path dependence and ‘‘normalization of deviance’’. Subsequently, it reviews the rationale behind calling the Challenger tragedy an organizational failure. Finally, it argues that the recent Columbia accident displays characteristics of organizational failure and proposes recommendations for the future.
Organizational failure is a fact of organizational life. Failure will happen no matter how elaborate of a system an organization deploys. Nowhere is this more apparent than in high-risk organizations like NASA. NASA has a variety of risk-avoidance systems that all aim to do one thing: ensure that instruments and astronauts sent into space complete their missions safely. NASA has failed in a few instances to fulfill this goal in the realm of human spaceflight. The Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia tragedies as well as the Apollo launch pad .re in 1967 are examples of failure at NASA that.....
This essay has the followings:
Total words: 4,074
Total reference: 4
Total price: £ 49.95
Click here to Order this essay!
Get Professionally written Essays that are:
• Written According to your Exact Requirements
• 100% Original and Non-Plagiarized
• Written by Expert
UK Writers
• Delivered to you before your deadline
Amazingly Low Prices - £9.95/page
