What was Columbus's goal in setting forth across the Atlantic in 1492? Was his voyage successful?

He wanted to find a direct water route from Europe to Asia, however he never managed to do that. He did, however, manage to find a new continent. Because he was hell bent on finding India in Asia, he naturally thought that his ship landed in India, and he called the inhabitants Indians, but those were in fact Native Americans. So, he failed in finding a route to Asia, but he found America.