In this episode of Knowledgecast, Jack welcomes retired Air Force Colonel Rick Burgess — a decorated pilot, commander, and former member of the investigative team that examined one of NASA’s most devastating tragedies: the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003.Rick recounts the moment the shuttle disintegrated over Texas and the massive seven-month investigation that followed. As part of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, he and a team of experts from across government and industry worked to uncover not just what went wrong, but why. The answer revealed two types of failure — one physical, and one cultural.

Physically, a piece of foam insulation had broken loose during launch and struck the shuttle’s left wing, creating a breach that led to its destruction on re-entry. But the deeper issue was organizational: years of success had caused NASA’s leadership to grow desensitized to risk, normalizing small deviations from safety standards until they became accepted practice. That phenomenon — what Rick calls “the normalization of deviance” — offers a sobering leadership lesson with implications far beyond space exploration.

Through detailed recollections and honest reflection, Rick explains how the Columbia tragedy reshaped NASA’s culture, what it revealed about communication and accountability in high-stakes environments, and how every leader can apply those lessons to their own organization. He also shares how the experience prompted him to examine his own life and leadership, recognizing how subtle compromises can erode integrity if left unchecked.

This conversation goes beyond the headlines of a national tragedy. It’s a study in decision-making under pressure, humility in leadership, and the courage it takes to confront systems that no longer serve their mission. Whether you lead in business, ministry, education, or government, Knowledgecast invites you to reflect on the same question that guided the Columbia team’s work: how do we prevent the next failure — and lead with greater purpose because of the last one?