Analysis of the Smoking Gun MemosPart I: IntroductionTwo tragic accidents, the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger accident and the near meltdown of Three Mile Island in 1979, have greatly devastated our nation. Both of these disasters resulted in communication problems among ordinary professionals, working in largely bureaucratic companies. Two memos called the “Smoking Gun Memos,” written by R. M. Boisjoly, of Morton Thiokol, and D. F. Hallman, of Babcook and Wilcox, will always be associated with these two incidents. Unfortunately, none of these reminders prevented the near-meltdown Challenger and Three Mile Island crashes.RM Boisjoly:RM Boisjoly had over a quarter century of aerospace experience in 1985, when he became involved in an improvement effort on the the O-ring that connects the segments of Morton Thiokol's Solid Rocket Booster. This was used to bring the Space Shuttle into orbit (OEC, 2006). Morton Thiokol is an aerospace company that produces the solid rocket motors used to launch the Challenger (Skubik). Boisjoly wrote a memo to R.L. Lund, vice president of engineering, and four others regarding his concerns about the defective O-ring erosion problem. His warnings were ignored resulting in the deaths of six astronauts and a social studies teacher. DF Hallman: DF Hallman was a manager of Plant Performance Services at Babcock and Wilson. The Babcock and Wilson Company, founded in 1867, manufactures and sells specialized industrial products, including fossil fuels and nuclear power systems (Gorinson & Kane, 1979). Hallman proposed a memo to BA Karrasch, director of plant integration, to implement changes in reactor operation... middle of paper... on what they deserve. Works Cited Boisjoly, Roger M. "SRM O-Ring Erosion Criticality/Failure Potential. Note to R.K. Lund, Vice President of Engineering. July 31, 1985. TS.Gorinson, Stanley M. and Kevin P. Kane. "The Accidental Island of Three Mile: The Role of the Management Company and its Suppliers." 1979. PDF file. Hallman, Donald F. "High Pressure Injection (HPI) Operator Outage." Note to BA Karrasch, Manager of plant integration. August 3, 1978. MS.Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. Technical Communication Strategies for Today. Pearson Education, 2001. Print. “Roger Boisjoly – The Challenger Disaster.” engineering and science. National Academy of Engineering, May 19, 2006. Web. March 27, 2014. Skubik, Daniel W. “Challenger Episode Summary.” California Baptist University, n.d. Web. March 26. 2014.