Bob Ebeling with his daughter Kathy and his wife, Darlene, in 2016. All three have since passed away. Photo/Howard Berkes NPR

Here at the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, NPR did an in-depth story about the three engineers who apparently had begged NASA not to launch. The ship exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all aboard.

The Challenger engineering disaster was due to the decision by NASA leadership to launch despite the pleadings of engineers Brian Russell, Bob Ebeling and Roger Boisjoly to abort.

Engineering students studying for their Bachelor’s would benefit from instruction about this disaster 40 years ago. In fact, Levees.org is pushing to make certain that students in the 200+ engineering colleges in the nation do receive such instruction.

But does the story of the Challenger’s O-ring failures bear any resemblance to the US Army Corps of Engineers’ I-wall failures? Levees.org’s leadership doesn’t think so.

It is now an accepted fact that in the 1980s, the Army Corps initially preferred a Barrier Plan to protect New Orleans from hurricane surges, but eventually selected the more expensive High Level Plan because 1) local officials preferred it and 2) it was less damaging to the environment.

There is no evidence that any engineers or any other experts:

1. advised against allowing storm surge into New Orleans’ three major drainage canals,
2. warned that the I-wall reinforced levees would fail under 1/2 the water pressure they were designed to hold or
3. stated that the more expensive High Level plan was an inferior plan to the Barrier plan.

It’s now understood that the Army Corps’ I-wall reinforced levees failed due to significant design and construction mistakes. If anyone personally sounded the alarm or knows someone who did, they should come forward and be recognized.

NPR’s story about the Challenger engineers and the 0-ring failure
Levees.org’s initiative for Engineering Failure Education in the U.S.