Why was the search for the northwest passage important even though early voyages failed?

The Northwest Passage has long been considered one of the most important marine paths in history, shortening the distance between Europe and eastern Asia by thousands of miles. This passage, once explored and tackled, also bridged these faraway lands to the eastern United States and the Canadian North. Although the passage has always been integral in shipping valuable mineral resources from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the Arctic and Canadian Islands, it’s never exactly been smooth sailing.