The Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff, resulting in the death of all seven crew members. A major cause of this tragedy was the failure of an O-ring seal in the shuttle's solid rocket booster. Engineers had expressed concerns about the performance of these O-rings in cold temperatures, and the launch occurred on an unusually cold day. _________ an investigation revealed that communication breakdowns and management issues within NASA contributed to the decision to proceed with the launch despite these concerns.