Post by geriatrix on Sept 21, 2015 15:25:45 GMT
An o-ring is a rubber ring that is used in machinery as a seal against substances like oil and air. Although it is one of the most commonly used seals, it is forever linked to a catastrophic failure. After the space shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, investigators determined that the o-ring seal in one of the shuttle's solid fuel rockets failed due to a loss of elasticity that resulted from the low temperature at launch time.
