This Amazing Mission Almost Failed After Launch

The ESA Hipparcos team worked for 20 years on the project, then had to watch as the mission ALMOST failed! But somehow, they turned it around, and today, this little-known mission has totally transformed what we know about space.

Hosted by: Reid Rimers

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[Anacronian]

Hipparchos: "Yay I lasted a full year longer than expected!!"
Robotic voice from Mars: "a year..that's cute"

[Rose_Nebula]

5:31 “...a bunch of small, short-lived humans looked into the ancient vastness of space, and decided they wanted to count the stars. There’s something aggressively optimistic about that...”
How did no one notice this amazing quote?

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

It was almost a "Mission failed, we'll get em next time"

[NewMessage]

Never ask a Universe it's age.. even I know that.

[EverythingScience]

If I could turn my failures into successes like this my life would be very different

[Nekogrl]

I'm well familiar with the HIPPARCOS catalogue, but I had no idea that mission was such a near fail! Awesome historic info here.

[BuildingCenter]

Hipparchos data has incredible dynamic range, from anticipting tiny cometary impacts on a gas giant in an arm of the Milky Way, to *aging exisitence.*

[astronomer]

As an astronomer, I loved this video. It's so well done! 🛰️💙

[Gunner]

The title of this video can apply to litterally every single space mission. Wanna know how I know that? Watching this channel for years. Apparently space is hard.

[idontwantachannelimjustcom]

When the craft dipped 8nto the van allen belts it experienced shorts from the charged particles in the panels.... has there been a mission designed to purposely cause these shorts, measure the voltage, and then try to harness or store that energy? I'm guessing the first such mission would die very quickly. Are these shorts sparatic or more of a electrostatic build up?

[cheaterman]

Wait wait wait wait wait. Our galaxy's TILT? Measured in comparison to other galaxies? That's mindblowing, can you piece up a video about it?

[justinmanzo]

I love science and I always watch videos like this, now I'm in a slow class and I don't know what to do.

[Strothy]

Didn't he have a nice beard at one point? or am i goin mad?

[eier]

This happens when you let Kerbals create your space craft

[dentoncrimescene]

You're a good host, do you do anything else I might be interested in?

[juanitoMint]

Who the hell gives thumbs down on a video discussing a mission giving light about the universe's age?
God? Creationist? Who?

[ezion]

The Hipparchos mission? That is over 25 years ago, Is this a ancient history channel?

[bobbyharper]

I was always a fan of Van Halen even if they mess with satellites.

[ReevansElectro]

Now with all that information and $3 we all can go down to Starbucks and get a coffee.

[garypalmer]

Wll except for that methuselah star. Its age is calculated to be older then the universe.