June 2024 Auction Ends Thursday, June 27th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/27/2024
Richard Feynman personally owned photo from his time on the Rogers Commission, the investigation established by President Reagan to investigate the cause of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. The cause, of course, was determined to be the o-rings, which couldn't tolerate cold temperatures. Feynman famously exposed their design flaw on live television by dropping an o-ring into a glass of ice water, showing how inflexible the material became. This Polaroid photo, from Feynman's estate, shows the o-ring as part of the Space Shuttle's solid rocket booster SRB joint assembly. Photo measures 4.25'' x 3.375''. Staple puncture to edge, else near fine. With provenance from Sotheby's 2021 sale of the Richard Feynman estate.
Richard Feynman's Personally Owned Photo of the Infamous O-Ring Assembly -- From His Time on the Rogers Commission Investigating the Cause of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
Click above for larger image.