When ignoring quality considerations can end in tragedy and disaster, it’s time to take a new world view of quality management, reflects Robert Charlton, Head of Quality at TPS.
Failure mirrors quality
As early as 1923 scientists understood that a telescope orbiting Earth could bring exciting potential to their work. They also understood the enormity of the technological challenge to get it there. And they were right – it wasn’t until over 50 years later in the 1970s that work could begin.
Named Hubble, in homage to astronomer Edwin Hubble, the telescope’s advanced design would allow it to capture extremely high-resolution images of Earth, despite the lack of background light available in space. Central to this design was a mirror. Ground and polished to exacting specifications, it would be the most technologically advanced mirror ever made.
NASA and colleagues from the European Space Agency set to, and eventually, in 1990, some 15 years and $1.175 billion later, Hubble was launched into space. The world waited with bated breath for those first exciting pictures. When they came, they were certainly sharp. Unfortunately, they were also completely indistinct.
A congressional investigation later revealed the mirror to be at fault. Exacting though its design specifications had been, they were unfortunately the wrong ones. It was also revealed that vital data which should have been used to inform them had been ignored. What’s more, data known to be unreliable had been used instead. To top it, the pre-application testing stipulated by the Quality Team hadn’t been completed. The mirror was useless. And so too, de facto, was the Hubble.
Tragically, NASA’s issues with quality aren’t isolated. January 28 1986 began like any normal day in Florida.
Normal until 11.39 am when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded 73 seconds after take-off from Cape Canaveral. Over six million Americans watched in horror as live footage of the tragedy unfolded on their TV screens.
All seven crew were lost. One of them, a teacher, had won her place on board in a national competition to select a worthy recipient to put the experience of Space travel to best social and educational good.
The cause of the disaster was the failure of the primary and secondary O-ring seals in the solid fuel boosters. The subsequent enquiry revealed that record-low temperatures on the morning of the launch had stiffened the rubber O-rings causing them to catastrophically fail. It went on to surface that crucial safety advice from the Quality Team urging that the seals must be changed before the mission, had been ignored.
A new world view
When you consider the potential consequences of ignoring quality considerations, it isn’t difficult to argue the need for organisations to adopt robust Quality Management Systems for product delivery. Most do, but they are seldom as robust as they need to be to avoid these kinds of disaster.
At TPS, we believe quality isn’t just a department—it’s a culture. It’s not about ticking boxes or chasing compliance. It’s about embedding excellence into everything we do.
We don’t view quality as a standalone goal. It’s the foundation of our entire operational strategy—from Environmental and Health & Safety to Information Security. Our Quality Management System (QMS) is designed not just to meet standards, but to evolve with them, ensuring we’re always ahead of the curve.
What Sets TPS Apart?
Quality That Grows With You
Our Quality team leads the charge in preparing TPS for the future—ensuring that as we expand, our processes, people, and products remain aligned and exceptional. We’re not just building systems. We’re powering excellence through precision.
Robert Charlton is Head of Quality, Health & Safety and Environment at TPS.
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