If Shackleton's expeditions ultimately were all disappointments to him for failing short of their goals, he made plenty of grand achievements to his credit along the way.
With today's backdrop of Covid-19, we can relate to the Endurance crews' feelings of frustration and impatience during the months they were trapped in the ice of Antarctica. Yet, unbeknownst to them, they were serving a much bigger purpose. Perhaps someday, we'll find the same.