Part 2: The Cold Facts Summary and Analysis

Richard understands that his acceptance on the Commission still needs approval. As he says, "There is still hope!" But he does get the call that he is part of the "presidential commission" headed by William P. Rogers. Rogers is the former Secretary of State who was shoved aside by Nixon in favor of his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger.

In preparation for the first meeting, Richard contacts colleagues at JPL to arrange a briefing in order to gain insight into the operation of the space shuttle. Richard is impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm. They are ahead of the curve as they focus on possible problems with O-rings in the booster-rocket field joints. Richard notes their reference to "ZN CrO4" that "makes bubbles." The chromate putty used as an O-ring insulator has a tendency to...