This task should be complete and fully tested prior to the next launch to ensure that the same accident does not happen again. At the same time, NASA"tms management team should introduce a policy that would prevent a newly formed astronaut team from going into space. This policy should clearly define the process that the new team has to go through in order to be qualified to go into space. In addition, it is recommended that NASA should develop a decision-making management structure within the next year or two. This structure must ensure that the right people have the authority and the responsibility to make the right decisions. If this solution does not provide the desired outcome of improved communications and better decision-making, NASA should hire a consulting team to help them encourage brainstorming and develop an open communication environment where people would feel comfortable to express their ideas. NASA should also consider developing contingency plans and training astronauts to act in emergency situations in order to improve team cohesiveness
The Apollo 13 malfunction was caused by an explosion and rupture of oxygen tank number 2, which was taken out of the service module of Apollo 10 and damaged in the process (4). All oxygen stores on Apollo 13 were lost within about three hours, along with loss of water, electrical power, and use of the propulsion system. During pre-flight testing, oxygen tank number 2 showed anomalies and would not empty correctly due to the damaged fill line (1). The Apollo 13 crew"tms safety has been compromised when NASA did not address the problem seen in oxygen tank number 2 prior to launch. Most likely the decision to ignore this problem has been based on the previous success of the Apollo 10 mission. There was an unnecessary launch time pressure put on the astronauts, when Jim had to decide whether to take on a new crew member or give up his mission. Such decisions should be made by NASA executives rather than a flight commander, who is often not in a position to make an objective decision. If Jim would not have been given the opportunity to try realizing the dream of his life his life, to walk on the moon, at the cost of breaking a performing team, it is possible that the Apollo 13 accident could be prevented. Replacing an existing crew member with Jack put the crew back at the stormingnorming team development stage, which compromised team performance in space. Lastly, it is obvious that NASA has an illusion of invulnerability and therefore lacks contingency plans for possible accidents, and the astronauts are not trained to function in emergency situations.
B. Develop a mechanism for avoiding spacecraft malfunctioning prior to launch100321117
Based on the previous discussion that identified the root problems and causes of the Apollo 13 accident, the following are the decision criteria for the alternative solutions:
A.Fix the defective coil. This is a short-term solution that should address the need to fix up the malfunctioning part of the oxygen tank prior to the next space mission. The downside of this solution is that it is only going to address a particular known problem, but it does not provide a strategy for preventing a similar situation from happening in the future.