JPL and the Space Age: To the Rescue

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Published 2022-05-12
In 1990, Hubble meant trouble. The highly touted space telescope was designed to escape Earth’s blurry atmosphere to capture unparalleled visual images of the universe, but its creators were shocked to discover that a minuscule flaw rendered it nearsighted.

Enter NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers, who offered up an ingenious solution to Hubble’s visual woes. But would it work?

Hubble wasn’t the only space misadventure getting JPL’s attention during the 1990s: The Magellan spacecraft, nicknamed “Salvage 1” for its reliance on spare parts, barely survived its arrival at Venus. Galileo, destined for Jupiter, barely skirted failure when its main communications antenna refused to unfurl. And Mars Observer, the first mission to the Red Planet in nearly two decades, would mysteriously disappear just before going into orbit.

“To the Rescue” explores these iconic examples of the tireless effort and indomitable ingenuity of JPL engineers as they attempt to rescue the machines they had lofted into the heavens.

Documentary length: 58 minutes
All Comments (21)
  • @boyo2012
    I love these Space Age videos!! Thank you to JPL for producing them for us to view. 🥰
  • @a9302c
    Loving this series. The quality of production is incredible, can't believe I get to watch it for free on YouTube. Keep it coming, JPL!
  • @jeremiefaucher-goulet3365
    These documentaries you've been posting lately have all been incredibly good!!! Thank you so so much!
  • @pastorrich7436
    I am barely 30% through the program and it's one big thumbs up! Another excellent installment from JPL!! Keep'em coming!!!
  • @yvindwestersund9720
    It's great to be able to get the story that you have so many times before have heard from news or science channels about the things that JPL did From the people that actually did it and lived with it hearing from them what really happened JUST GREAT 👍👌😀 MANY THANKS FROM NORWAY 🇳🇴
  • @MichaelBehrnsMiller
    To me, this thrilling work of JPL is the best reason to be proud to be an American.
  • @arneja
    Love the sound of last blast just before the lift-off. Gives me chills.
  • @bblod4896
    This series is fantastic, thank you JPL. 😁
  • @NesconProductions
    Space is hard someone said. Wish humanity would work together on earth & beyond..
  • @justasmig
    Thank you JPL for such an amazing.series, it is really well made and I hope these series will inspire our next generations of engineers and scientists.
  • @lynntaylor349
    33:49 "So what do you guys do at the Planetary Defense Coordination Office?" "We run simulations on the theoretical reduction of impacts on meteor strikes and and the possible redirection of high speed objects in space through setting them on accelerated velocity and an intersecting collision course with pre-positioned artificial explosives" "Excellent! Young men, Keep up the good work"
  • @Arsenic71
    As a non-US citizen I really want to thank JPL not only for producing these fantastic videos but also for all the research and other work (planning, manufacturing, launching, controlling) they have done.
  • @faheyplayer
    This narrator has been around a long time, and he is so excellent.
  • @umbralsky374
    I love these videos and this channel, thank you so much for all NASA and JPL do. Please create more videos
  • @CandidDate
    Aristotle and Plato would be proud to see where their questioning has led to our questing.!
  • @chalimsupa6603
    looking back at how the JWST launch went without hitches... i'm just having a good laugh hearing how Magellan could choose to look away and refuse to talk to the team.. a software glitch causing an infinite loop making the spacecraft to float away without control... this is comical but at the same time, what a journey! great humans, your work is not in vain