NASA. The Challenger

I read some useful information about space exploration the other day that really fascinated me.  The Challenger Spacecraft that blew up in 1986 happened because the crew didn’t check to make sure all things were safe before liftoff.  Apparently an O-ring seal in its right rocket booster failed at takeoff.  How does this happen? How could the crew not notice such a huge thing like this?  It amazes me that NASA put so much money, time, and effort into space exploration but they aren’t 100% concerned with the crew risking their lives.  Astronauts know that going into space has a serious risk of not coming back alive safely.  But still that is insane and irresponsible of the crew working on the ship to not make sure everything is working properly before the big take off.  Families lost loved ones because of one simple error that they didn’t properly check.  The failing of the O-ring caused gas from the rocket motor to spread to the outside engine.  Hopefully in the near future, the crews will check to make sure all parts of the vehicle are ready to go and are working to their full potential.  This is probably one of the main reasons that NASA isn’t being funded right now.  In a segment I watched on television, it showed at the beginning of a takeoff a piece of spacecraft falls off and then the ship takes launch.  Seems like somebody in the NASA program would have realized this, got in contact with the pilot of the ship, and told them. Also, in the segment they talked with many people who used to work for NASA.  The former employees did not seem too fond of the space program after what they have all gone through.  Was NASA really doing their best and following their STRICTLY stated safety codes?  I guess in time we will see how well NASA upgrades there safety polices before taking off.