American Notes SPACE

"The Department of Justice and the families are pleased that these settlements were achieved . . . without the need to engage in litigation." With those words, the U.S. Government last week announced that the kin of four crew members who perished aboard the space shuttle Challenger last January had resolved their potential claims against the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Settling were the families of Mission Commander Francis Scobee, High School Teacher Christa McAuliffe, Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka and Payload Specialist Gregory Jarvis. The families, who initiated the talks in August, are expected to receive at least $750,000 each, paid out over several years. In exchange, they have waived their rights to future claims against NASA and its personnel and contractors, including Morton Thiokol, the company that built Challenger's solid-fuel rocket boosters. Last year a Government commission concluded that a failure in one of the boosters caused the orbiter to explode.

Morton Thiokol has agreed to shoulder 60% of the payments--a contribution the Justice Department insists is not an admission of guilt. Besides, a settlement is in the interests of both the Government and the company. Had Morton Thiokol been brought to court, it would have faced the risk of an even higher payout. In fighting the lawsuits, moreover, the company would be likely to sue the Government.

NASA and Morton Thiokol have yet to come to terms with the survivors of Pilot Michael Smith and Mission Specialists Ronald McNair and Judith Resnik. While Resnik, who was single, has no claims entered on her behalf, McNair's widow is suing Morton Thiokol, and Smith's widow Jane has entered a $15.1 million claim against NASA.