Space Mistakes

Catastrophe beckons when gears controlling a Single Point of Failure Space Shuttle landing system are installed backwards. And, with the $50 Billion International Space Station running out of supplies, mounting pressure from world space agencies, and NASA attempting to Return to Flight after the tragic loss of Columbia, a shocking discovery that could have destroyed the Shuttle during launch causes NASA to cancel the historic launch, pull the Space Shuttle off the launch pad and "de-stack" for only the eight time in 30 years.

A spacecraft freefalls from orbit smashing into the ground when its parachute fails to deploy. Can the multi-million dollar science mission be salvaged? And, a wrong turn ruptures a costly Space Shuttle "cold plate!"

A harrowing space mistake leaves the solid rocket boosters hanging by a thread and places the unsuspecting public in the cross hairs of more than a ton of the most explosive rocket fuel on the planet. And, a training exercise goes horribly wrong when an astronaut attempts to complete a routine requirement to be cleared for flight.

The loss of Space Shuttle Columbia stands as one of the worst disasters in spaceflight history. Go behind the scenes of the External Tank foam application process and discover why that seemingly insignificant bit of foam came off during launch, puncturing a hole in the leading edge of the wing - leading to catastrophic failure, loss of vehicle and loss of life.