A similar process took place on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf. Alarms were deliberately turned off to permit workers to sleep. BP was also said to have progressively developed a company culture that disregarded safety issues.
In contrast, the fatal Apollo 1 pad fire and the Apollo 13 near loss seem to have had more to do with the unprecedented and rushed nature of the entire Moon program.
Re Challenger I completely agree, re Columbia I blame PCism over safety. I happen to think that the Shuttle is a fine space craft and no more dangerous then any other space craft if managed properly. It is the most capable space craft yet built for low earth orbital missions and it will be many years (if ever) before private companies have anything that comes close. But the Shuttle was very expensive to operate, to expensive it appears. Well I guess if we ask real nice and pay alot of money the Russians might take our guys into space maybe. If not then maybe the Chinese will. I guess this is how it feels to be a second rate power.
Another great post.
When Princeton Professor Gerard K. O’Neill came to my college back in the mid 1970’s for a lecture about space colonization I asked whether social atrophy of the sort you describe for organizations would apply to the colonies and the very long space flights for interstellar travel. IIRC, It wasn’t something he gave any consideration and I had the impression it was due to his highly optimistic philosophy.
Yet it was something I had been considering as a background sort of grand history quest question. I am still considering these kind of issues. And of course have seen many more of them happening. Part of the human condition.
Here’s the thing: The existence of a highly functioning society, subculture, enterprise or organization is NEVER to be taken for granted in any way. Strong, mighty efforts must be constantly underway to (1) make the ideals manifest to all and (2) keep the moral and intellectual vitality high.