Answer:
He was not a failure
Step-by-step explanation:
Columbus was searching for a route, but found something much greater than that that went on to benefit his homeland and many other European countries. Additionally, his initial belief of there being a western sea route to Asia was based on European maps at the time (they hadn't discovered the Americas yet, so they didn't know the path would be blocked). His trip was about discovering a new path, not traveling on one that already existed.