Mars

[bajorangirl]

Did anyone watch the TV programme Mars on National Geographic last night (UK). Stunning programme It merged fact with fiction, Elon Musk's Space X programme then going in to the future (2033) I think the future side of it is based on the book 'How We'll Live on Mars.'

Definitely worth a watch!!!

 

[marillion]

Greatly looking forward to it.. Have the DVR set... It looks really good, at least from the previews!

 

[John Clark]

Watched it on catchup last night. I thought it was interesting

 

[Forbin]

I loved the mix of current documentary with future fiction.
Though the manufactured jeopardy of having to switch a circuit board during entry was kinda lame.

 

[TheSeeker]

I thought about watching it last night but I was just too tired. It sounds like something I'd like to watch though. I may check it out if I get a chance.

 

[bajorangirl]

Greatly looking forward to it.. Have the DVR set... It looks really good, at least from the previews!

I thought about watching it last night but I was just too tired. It sounds like something I'd like to watch though. I may check it out if I get a chance.

I very rarely recommend TV programmes as I am so awkward but I recommend people watch this all the way. I only came across it as there was featured when I flicked my Virgin Media box on, just in time for it to start. Now TIVO is set to record the rest.

I loved the mix of current documentary with future fiction.
Though the manufactured jeopardy of having to switch a circuit board during entry was kinda lame.

Haha I thought the same. Why does something always have to go wrong. It's annoying and you know it's coming.

 

[bigdaddy]

[QUOTE="bajorangirl]Why does something always have to go wrong. [/QUOTE]

It's just like life!

 

[Trekfan12]

I watched it and thought it was a wonderful show. I thought it was pretty accurate on how a mission to mars would go

 

[Starscape]

Interesting show at least from the documentary side, but considering it was produced by the makers of "Apollo 13" and "From the Earth to the Moon" I had hoped the fictional storyline would have been more grounded. I understand the reality of astronauts going through long equipment checklists and having procedures for every eventuality would tend to suck the drama from the story, but there is still the potential for jeopardy, the real space-programs have shown that.

Spoiler: Science-y stuff

How come the rover is overloaded by thousands of kilograms with only 5 astronauts onboard who would be less than 100 kg each?

 

[sojourner]

All the supplies they have to scavenge from the lander.

 

[MacLeod]

Interesting show at least from the documentary side, but considering it was produced by the makers of "Apollo 13" and "From the Earth to the Moon" I had hoped the fictional storyline would have been more grounded. I understand the reality of astronauts going through long equipment checklists and having procedures for every eventuality would tend to suck the drama from the story, but there is still the potential for jeopardy, the real space-programs have shown that.

Spoiler: Science-y stuff

How come the rover is overloaded by thousands of kilograms with only 5 astronauts onboard who would be less than 100 kg each?

Spoiler: Re: Science-y stuff

Depends on what they salvaged from the ship

 

[Starscape]

I watched the end of the first episode again, they didn't appear to load anything on the rover apart from personal items between first stepping onto Mars and entering the rover and one of the astronauts says:
"Mission control have confirmed that the rover is 2000 kilos over max payload with all of us onboard"
Which seems to imply that the problem is too many people on the rover. But overloading with supplies is a good thought, although they needn't have taken everything in one trip?

 

[publiusr]

I loved the mix of current documentary with future fiction.
Though the manufactured jeopardy of having to switch a circuit board during entry was kinda lame.

I'd be nice if you actually could repair electronics--everything's on a chip. I suspect some of the electronics will actually need to be a bit retro:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...spacecraft-processor-2003-Apple-iBook-G3.html

The ship looks a lot like ITS, except it does do a belly flop--like ITS with the heatshield from earlier biconic designs

http://old.marssociety.org.au/amec2002/proceedings/Image48.jpg
http://old.marssociety.org.au/amec2002/proceedings/Image48.jpg
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net...uttles1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090614175451

I like this concept: http://www.frassanito.com/work/images/planning02.jpg
But that's likely Earth return only.


The Rover will actually look like this:
http://futuristicnews.com/next-generation-vehicle-for-space-exploration-from-nasa/

It shares some commonality with space-only asteroid exploration craft.

The first actual Mars mission will actually be even more spartan than what you see in this series.

Even if we fully funded BFR now--it might only get flying in the 2030s.

I think it will be 2076--a full century after Viking--that we have that much mass up there.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

I loved the mix of current documentary with future fiction.
Though the manufactured jeopardy of having to switch a circuit board during entry was kinda lame.

Yes I thought it was by the numbers just like
Mission to Mars (2000) and Red Planet (2000) the 15 minutes before they land on the planet's surface in all 3 films.
MARS (2016) shows though how difficult it would be to land the rocket since parachutes wont work well due to atmosphere.
I do not need to rewatch this series again. No rewatchability.

 

[BillJ]

I enjoyed it when it ran on NatGeo here in the US.

 

[marillion]

I'd like to watch the documentary and the fictional drama as separate shows... I found the present/future breaks a little distracting. Overall, I liked it a lot... I got the sense that they were in over their heads, despite being the best of the best, from start to finish, and felt the struggle.