When will they ever learn? The conditions for failure in publicly funded high technology projects: the R101 and Challenger disasters compared

Governments of all political complexions seek economic advantage through supporting high profile projects in the field of high technology. “High tech” becomes a mantra, comprising activities with a wide range of possible outcomes, inevitably demanding large investments, and promising high rewards. It is a relative term and every generation defines its “leading edge” projects in a similar way; although the substantive technology differs, building on the learning previously achieved and assimilated into the paradigm of “normal science”. Some of these projects work, but many do not: some end in spectacular and catastrophic failure. The resulting disasters are subsequently ascribed to exogenous causes, such as “Acts of God”, or are explained as due to the inherently risky consequence of working at the frontiers of new technology and of the dangerous but none the less essential choices made at the political level, without which “progress” would not be achieved. Politicians, technologists and managers bear specific and local responsibilities for the failure of systems on their watch but it is arguably the failure of the academic theorists of disaster to contribute in a more socially engaged way that most supports the ability of society not to hear the messages it wishes to evade.