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One need only look at the multicultural mosaic in the picture of the Challenger shuttle crew to understand what went wrong back in 1986. Shuttle launches had become so routine that they were being treated no differently than a bus ride, and had become forums for politically-correct statements about the U.S. space program.

So, you're saying that the Shuttle was destroyed because it had a diverse crew?

If you have any doubts about that, go back and see what happened once they re-started the shuttle launches a few years afterward. All military payloads were given top priority, and the crews were all comprised of a bunch of older white military veterans.

I have many doubts about that. I also have many doubts about your second sentence. Do you have any actual data to support it (from this universe, that is)? After Challenger, military payloads were shifted to expendables. The astronaut corps composition did not change. The flights continued, and continue, to carry women and minorities. Sorry you have a problem with that.

January 28, 1986 was the day the U.S. space program stopped playing games. At least for a while.

The only "games" they were playing was lousy management, and wishful thinking.

So, you're saying that the Shuttle was destroyed because it had a diverse crew?

No, I'm saying that NASA's desire to have a "diverse" crew was symptomatic of a careless, slack approach to shuttle missions.

Check out this web page -- it will show you photos of all the shuttle crews. There was not nearly the same "diversity" on those crews for quite a while.

http://www.astronautix.com/flights/index.htm