8/4/2023 0 Comments Mars climate orbiter![]() ![]() That was the date–13 years ago this Sunday–that NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter was supposed to claim its spot in orbit around the Red Planet, roughly 180 km above the Martian surface. Septemshould have been a day of excitement and celebration for researchers and science enthusiasts everywhere. By taking a closer look at some of the accidents and tragedies of the past, we can find both practical lessons for the future and inspiration for how to persevere and learn from tragedy.Īn artist’s concept showing NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter, which was lost due to a unit conversion error 13 years ago. And, as you’ll see in the first installment of our new Tragedies in Science blog series, even “rocket scientists” make mistakes. The tragedies of science often don’t appear in text books or journal articles, but they are just as much a part of science as any discovery or triumph. Recognize your colleagues and their contributions before it’s too late. Train your field crew for the harshest possible conditions and the worst case scenario. Always double check your unit conversions. In less severe cases they are the painful (and sometimes expensive) blunders that we can eventually look back and laugh about.īut in almost every case–whether caused by bad luck, bad planning, lack of understanding, simple human error, or systemic problems in a research team or a society–there is something to be learned from these experiences. In the worst cases, these experiences result in serious losses or even catastrophes that can affect many people. From time to time, accidents, mistakes, and tragedies happen. In science, as in the rest of life, things don’t always go as planned. ![]()
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