The National Geographic channel’s six-part series Mars that premiered on 14 November is the channel’s largest production till date in terms of sheer scale, and tells an inspiring story from the vantage point of a fictitious crewed mission to Mars in 2033 aboard the spacecraft Daedalus. The documentary-drama series, directed by celebrated Hollywood director Ron Howard, takes viewers to the Red Planet and explain the possibility of life on Mars.
Based on scientific research and theory, the series is set both in the present day and in the future. It will also showcase the dramatic setbacks and successes of the modern scientific space revolution and the quest to send humans to Mars, while envisioning humankind’s first harrowing attempt to colonise the distant planet.
The first episode of the series showcased that in 2033, the first human mission to Mars enters the Red Planet’s atmosphere, but the crew of the Daedalus faces a life-threatening emergency when the ship’s landing system goes offline. The crew’s commander risks his life to fix the problem as mission control monitors back on Earth.
Daedalus’ maiden voyage in 2033 is crewed by a carefully selected international team of six uniquely qualified astronauts — American mission commander Ben Sawyer, Korean-American mission pilot Hana Seung, Spanish hydrologist and geochemist Javier Delgado, French mission physician and biochemist Amelie Durand, Nigerian mechanical engineer and Roboticist Robert Foucault, and Russian exobiologist and geologist Marta Kamen. Back on Earth, the Mars Mission Corporation (MMC) control team based in London includes Hana Seung’s twin sister, capsule communicator Joon Seung and French CEO of the MMC, Ed Grann, who controls the MARS mission 2033.
The documentary-drama is a well scripted element set in the future which also showcases interviews with today’s best and brightest minds in modern science and innovation, illuminating how research and development is creating the space technology that will enable our first attempt at a mission to Mars.
Responding to The Sunday Guardian through email, executive producer Ron Howard said, “Brian (another producer) and I, along with our friends at RadicalMedia (a global studio founded in 1993), had this ambitious idea, which was to create a documentary about the quest to go to Mars, but also bring it to life in a really dramatic and cinematic way. The audience will be able to experience vivid and experiential filmmaking along with information on Mars. Nat Geo’s ambition was high, and we are really honoured and thrilled to try and meet that challenge.”
The Mars series is being telecast on the National Geographic channel every Monday at 9 p.m. from 14 November. The series will also be the November cover story of the National Geographic magazine and will be featured in a stand-alone National Geographic book.