JPL and the Space Age: Mission to Mars



After the devastating loss of two back-to-back missions to Mars in 1999, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory found itself at a crossroads: Would the lab pull back, becoming more cautious and conservative with the new missions it was willing to take on? Or would JPL continue its tradition of pursuing challenging and innovative missions?

That question was answered when JPL proposed designing and building an entirely new type of Mars rover from scratch on top of an extremely tight schedule, and launching not one, but two of them to the Red Planet.

“Mission to Mars” tells how engineers and scientists overcame multiple adversities to design, build, test, and launch the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, two of NASA’s most storied missions.

Documentary length: 60 minutes

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24 thoughts on “JPL and the Space Age: Mission to Mars”

  1. Years and years ago I remember reading about those missions every time a book or a magazine came my way. A few columns here, a handful of still images there… This is incredible.

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  2. We sold JPL specially configured computer systems back from 95 to 2000. One thing I learned that is still true today is that you have to have people that absolutely love what they are doing to be not only successful but great. When our CEO left who was a computer nerd, bumped out by the parent company, the product lost its individuality, its special touch and the business crashed. Really a sad story.

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  3. Hi, in trying for a no_propwash firefighting tankers if one puts a jetboard system in a box as motor:
    An economic opportunity to aviation/aerospace and containers: Fluid_impulse motors fly without air no_fuels no_batteries by using all_magnet motors for pumps.

    Working on a small one for a landmine detection drone, nobody seems to get it but plumbers so far, fluid_impulse can punch a pipe through concrete walls when a sprinkler system goes off.
    ☕️

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  4. I have only 1 question to NASA. why didn't you send a simple paint brush with solar powered rovers. The robotic arm just have to pick it up and clean the solar panels when required. Some rovers would have been working until now if you've done that

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  5. I name everything in Kerbal Space Program after my favourite JPL personalities. For example, the first suborbital flights were atop the "EdStone Rocket" (see what I did there?), there will be solar system missions such as the Porco Solar Probe and (naturally) the Casani mission to Saturn. Not sure what to do with Gentry Lee; he definitely needs honouring.

    And, no, I don't have a girlfriend …

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  6. "Dare Mighty Things" – Motto of JPL. Submotto: "Man, mighty things are hard!" Mars has just enough atmosphere to be a real pain for any lander mission. Then again, JPL proved it's enough atmosphere to fly a drone! What's the old saying, every nearly airless planet has a silver lining?

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