JPL and the Space Age: Saving Galileo

If any spacecraft could be said to have had nine lives, it was Galileo. At the time of its launch, this mission to Jupiter was the most sophisticated science spacecraft ever built. But the expectation of great science rewards almost was ruined when the spacecraft’s main antenna refused to unfurl.

“Saving Galileo” is the story of how NASA’s Galileo mission - designed, built, and operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory - was kept alive despite a multitude of technical challenges. It is also the story of a tight-knit team of scientists and engineers who were forged by adversity into what many came to call a family.

“Saving Galileo” tells how, despite many challenges and limitations, Galileo proved a resounding success.

Documentary length: 60 minutes