Every project reaches a point where the budget is locked, the deadline is fixed, and something unexpected goes wrong. What happens next reveals everything about a project’s culture. This episode examines how schedule and cost constraints quietly erode safety margins, using NASA’s Artemis II program as a real-world case study. We look at the organizational psychology behind motivated reasoning, why experienced professionals talk themselves into accepting risks they know are real, and what project managers can do to keep margin decisions visible, documented, and honest before the consequences become irreversible.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​