Amazing behind-the-scenes stories of NASA catastrophes and near misses, many unknown to the public. The science of exploration is imperfect - sometimes NASA must learn the hard way: Incorrect metric conversions, reverse installations, deadly chemical spills, and a near miss that could have resulted in a massive rocket fuel explosion that could have wiped out a small town - and almost did!
Episode 1
A massive pressure build up inside the Space Shuttle during launch sends engineers and NASA brass scrambling to avoid another space shuttle loss. Relive the harrowing moments in Launch Control during NASA's second "Return to Flight" test flight after the tragic loss of Space Shuttle Columbia. Go behind the scenes as NASA engineers discover the frightening truth about the incident and the cascade of space mistakes that caused it.
Episode 2
Serious injury or loss of life threaten technicians working on the Mars Exploration Rover when a test procedure goes horribly wrong. As the clock ticks toward the critical Mars launch window, NASA scrambles to understand and fix this critical space mistake. If they can't, the launch window closes and the mission will be delayed for two years.
Episode 3
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.
Episode 4
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!"
Episode 5
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.
Episode 6
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.