Understanding the sources of faulty group decision making: A lesson from the Challenger disaster

Nearly two years after the Rogers Commission investigation of the Challenger disaster revealed that the decision to launch the shuttle was made in the presence of information questioning the safety of the launch, many continue to ask how NASA officials could make such a highly questionable and regrettable decision. The present essay examines this ques tion and identifies six major factors that exerted an influence on the decision-making process and ultimately led to the launch of the Challenger.