If I remember correctly, there was at least one NASA engineer who was concerned about those O-rings before the catastrophe, but he was ignored. Somewhat like the lower-level FBI agent who was ignored when she warned about the al-Qaeda guys going to flight school. The agent later got in touch with famed physicist Richard Feynman, who made a demonstration of how the O-rings go rigid at low temperatures before the commission investigating the crash, of which Feynman was a member. If only there had been someone like that at the 9-11 commission. Instead, we got guilty lawyers and political hacks dedicated to exonerating the Demonrats.
I recall seeing some of that; I believe he also demonstrated that NASA had revised the lubricant/sealant that the O-rings were mounted with. Due to the greenazi's, NASA had removed the asbestos fibre from the lube. Feynman fished a chunk out of a glass of ice and water, and the compound without the asbestos powdered in his fingers, the one with the fibres retained its suppleness.
I was in a company's lounge watching on TV in Upstate NY. The silence was deafening once the realization hit - quickly - that those seven would never return. The rest of the day was very subdued, as if we'd all lost some very close friends.
NASA has a site - http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor09/index_noaccess.html - with Remembrance of all the Astronauts who have given their lives in our quest for freedom from our surly bonds. God rest them all.
Feynman was tremendous researcher - i’ve read most of his account of the shuttle commission.