But if we leave the deeper causes unaddressed, the cancer will keep coming back. This is why we heard, in astronaut Sally Ride’s memorable words, the echoes of Challenger in the Columbia accident. As the only person to serve on the investigation boards for both accidents, Ride was uniquely qualified to draw this connection. The technical flaws in the two accidents were different, but the cultural flaws were similar. The deeper causes of the Challenger tragedy had remained unaddressed, even after the technical flaws were fixed and the key decision makers were replaced.
