NASA - Learning to forget?

Building upon the heritage and space-science excellence of the University of Leicester, Space Park is a collaborative community of industry, academics and students working together to drive growth in space and space-enabled sectors.We undertake world-leading research, impactful innovation and offer a wide-range of skills and educational development opportunities.

Space Park Leicester (University of Leicester)

Dr Bennett explores the nature and consequences of pressures on NASA by examining three of the space agency’s most dramatic failures.

Space Park Leicester

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is much more than a space agency. It is a showcase for American technological prowess – a means of impressing neutral countries and of drawing them into the American geopolitical orbit. The Agency is a political tool. Consequently, it is, like its counterparts, subject to political pressures, overt and covert. In his lecture, Dr Bennett will explore the nature and consequences of these pressures by examining three of the space agency’s most dramatic failures: the 1967 Apollo 1 fire, the 1986 Challenger STS loss and the 2003 Columbia loss. After each disaster, NASA resolved to put things right. Nevertheless, over time the preconditions for mishap resurfaced, with fatal consequences. The Agency conspicuously failed to eliminate what Professor James Reason would call its latent errors or resident pathogens. Dr Bennett will explore the reasons for this failure.Dr Bennett’s qualitative analysis will draw on sociological theories of risk assessment and management, such as organising for high-reliability, safety culture, safety migration, reactive patching, normalisation of deviance, latent error, active error, passive learning, active learning, isomorphic learning, active foresight, risk imagination, coning of attention, mindlessness, mindfulness, organisational stress testing and black swan theory.Dr Bennett will argue that while quantitative approaches to risk assessment and management are central to the management of risk in complex socio-technical ventures (such as an unmanned or manned space mission), qualitative approaches such as those mentioned above can, when integrated with quantitative approaches, improve safety margins and mission success rates – essential if a space agency, whether American, Chinese, Indian, Russian, Brazilian, Japanese, Australian or European is to retain its licence to operate, funding and reputation.P﻿hoto: Astronauts (left to right) Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee, pose in front of Launch Complex 34 which is housing their Saturn 1 launch vehicle. The astronauts died ten days later in a fire on the launch pad.

Cosmic Coffee: Innovation, Funding & Business Growth

Space Park Conversations: Worms, the ISS and Space Park Leicester

Space Park Conversations: Satellites, Astro-Photography and Astronomy

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

NASA - Learning to forget?

More events from Space Park Leicester (University of Leicester)

Discover more events from Space Park Leicester (University of Leicester), from Science & Tech to other experiences you might love.

Cosmic Coffee: Innovation, Funding & Business Growth

Space Park Conversations: Worms, the ISS and Space Park Leicester

Space Park Conversations: Satellites, Astro-Photography and Astronomy

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Leicester and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

NASA - Learning to forget?

More events from Space Park Leicester (University of Leicester)

Discover more events from Space Park Leicester (University of Leicester), from Science & Tech to other experiences you might love.

Cosmic Coffee: Innovation, Funding & Business Growth

Space Park Conversations: Worms, the ISS and Space Park Leicester

Space Park Conversations: Satellites, Astro-Photography and Astronomy

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Leicester and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.