Mars Near Catastrophe
Synopsis
A $125 million Mars climate orbiter disintegrated in 1999 due to a simple unit conversion error, illustrating the risks of space exploration.
Synopsis
At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, technicians face a critical test on the Mars Exploration Rover. During preparations, a malfunction nearly leads to injury, revealing the hidden dangers of space missions. The documentary recounts past failures, including the 1999 disintegration of the Mars Climate Orbiter due to a unit conversion error and the crash of the Mars Polar Lander. It also details the successful Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which provided invaluable data for future human missions to Mars.
Deep Dive
Why Watch
- See how NASA learned from the Mars Climate Orbiter failure.
- Find out about the record-breaking operational time of Opportunity.
- Meet the engineers behind the Mars Exploration Rovers program.
Did You Know
- The Mars Climate Orbiter disintegrated in 1999 due to a unit conversion error.
- The Mars Polar Lander crashed in 1999 because of a software misinterpretation.
- Spirit operated for 6 years and 2 months before losing contact in 2010.
- Opportunity remained functional for over 13 years, conducting scientific discovery.
Perfect For
Frequently Asked Questions
What year does NASA plan to place humans on Mars?
NASA aims to place humans on Mars by the year 2035.
What caused the Mars Climate Orbiter to disintegrate?
The Mars Climate Orbiter disintegrated because engineers did not convert English units of measure to metric units.
How long did the Spirit rover operate on Mars?
The Spirit rover operated for 6 years, 2 months, and 19 days before losing contact on March 22, 2010.
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