These disasters raise questions about management and science. Is it possible for governments to pass laws to make science safe? That seems doubtful. In the end, every person, every worker, has to have their own understanding of the law. And people make mistakes.
The Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters are extreme examples of human error. On the one hand, the USA was spending hundreds of millions of dollars on its space program me,and the government and the scientists felt a great need to succeed, on the other hand, it is very clear that all the scientists, including the crew, were very worried the night before Challenger began its flight. So why was Challenger allowed to fly? Perhaps the scientists were too sensitive to the opinions of the government, the newspapers, and the TV reporters. Science is wonderful, but people are only human.