Premium Only Content

JPL and the Space Age: The Breaking Point
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s success in landing the low-cost Mars Pathfinder mission in 1997 was viewed as proof that spacecraft could be built more often and for far less money — a radical cultural change NASA termed “Faster, Better, Cheaper.” This era also coincided with the discovery of a Mars rock that hinted at the possibility of microbial life elsewhere in the solar system. NASA’s reaction was to envision a steady stream of missions to Mars — all done at cut-rate costs. In fact, the next challenge taken on by JPL was to fly two missions to Mars for the price of the single Pathfinder mission. Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander both made it to the launch pad, on time and on budget, but were lost upon arrival at Mars, resulting in one of the most difficult periods in the history of JPL. “The Breaking Point” tells the story of the demise of these two missions and the abrupt end of NASA’s “Faster, Better, Cheaper” era. Documentary length: 1 hour 47 minutes.
-
LIVE
Cheyballa718
15 minutes agoDAY 3 Rivals Event/Prestige LEGEND Grind Road to 100 Followers! 10/100 Followers
36 watching -
DVR
RiftTV/Slightly Offensive
4 hours agoIs ORTHODOXY the TRUE Church of Christ? | The Rift | Guests: Jay Dyer, Jamie Hanshaw + Luigi
17K3 -
LIVE
a12cat34dog
3 hours agoFINISHING THIS CLASSIC :: God of War (2005) :: FIRST-TIME PLAYING {18+}
103 watching -
3:55:01
Nerdrotic
5 hours ago $7.97 earnedMarvel's Doom Loop, Superman's James Gunn Looks Down? 28 Years Later | Friday Night Tights 359
51.6K16 -
DVR
Edge of Wonder
4 hours agoAntarctica Secrets: Radio Signals that Defy Physics & ChatGPT Lying
9.59K1 -
LIVE
Midnight In The Mountains
4 hours agoGaming w/ PER·SE·VER·ANCE | 1K Celebration Stream | Gears Beta Round 2
36 watching -
9:20
WhaddoYouMeme
22 hours ago $0.34 earnedThe BRUTAL 5-Step Trap Keeping Christians Watching P*rn
8.84K7 -
LIVE
LFA TV
23 hours agoLFA TV ALL DAY STREAM - FRIDAY 6/20/25
613 watching -
LIVE
BLoobsGaming
4 hours agoEmpyrion! RIP CV... Build Back Better?
20 watching -
1:03:10
BonginoReport
4 hours agoFacts Get In The Way Of The LA Dodgers’ Narrative - Nightly Scroll w/ Hayley Caronia (Ep.74)
118K34