15 Inventions That Only Worked Exactly Once

NASA probe touched down on Mars and transmitted data briefly before losing contact, completing its mission exactly once.

Montgolfier’s tiny hot-air model flew once before being dismantled for study.

Massive siege cannon smashed its target in Belgium, then never repeated success.

Spherical internal combustion engine functioned on test bench only once.

Piston engine prototype ran one cycle before being deemed unworkable.

Military prototype fired once for adoption before disappearing into secrecy.

 Underwater missile container tested once before project abandoned at war’s end.

Single prototype transmitted one message before being surpassed by better designs.

Plutonium sphere reached criticality twice, then melted and never reused.

1776 combat mission ended with failure, sinking the first operational military submarine.

World’s largest rigid airship crashed on its only transcontinental attempt in France.

Long-range supergun fired once operationally against Luxembourg before site destruction.

First steam-powered vehicle rolled briefly in Paris before crashing and being retired.

Prototype plutonium implosion device detonated once in the New Mexico desert.

Three-stage rocket exploded seconds after lift-off at Cape Canaveral.