Fault tree analysis is a technique used for identifying and analyzing the various events that could cause a particular undesirable outcome. It was used to help understand the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, in which a fractured foam piece from the spacecraft's external tank struck one of its wing panels during launch, resulting in loss of integrity and leading to the destruction of the craft upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. As shown in this fault tree analysis, on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew were destroyed during Columbia's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The cause of the disaster was ultimately determined to be foam insulation from the external tank striking the leading edge of the shuttle's left wing during launch, causing a breach in which hot atmospheric gases entered and eventually broke up the spacecraft. This incident marked NASA's first operational loss of a space vehicle since 1986. Download this template from EdrawMax and start customizing it as per requirements. With EdrawMax's built-in customization features, you can modify the content of this design as per your norms.
