In 2003, a catastrophic mistake occurred at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the preparation of the Spirit Mars Rover for launch. While testing the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT), a surge of electricity was accidentally sent into the spacecraft instead of the motor. The consequences of this mistake were potentially devastating, with the possibility of losing a $500 million spacecraft just weeks before its delivery for launch. However, through meticulous analysis and troubleshooting, the team was able to restore the spacecraft’s telemetry and continue testing. This incident taught valuable lessons about resilience and the importance of learning from failure. The author invites others to share their own failure stories in order to foster growth and wisdom in the space exploration community.
https://www.chrislewicki.com/articles/failurestory