Adventure, Documentary, Drama, Science Fiction
Original name: Mars
The maiden crew of the Daedalus spacecraft must push itself to the brink of human capability in order to successfully establish the first sustainable colony on Mars. Set both in the future and in the present day, this series blends scripted elements set in the future with documentary vérité 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.
In 2037, a devastating tragedy in the colony forces everyone on Mars and Earth to question the mission; in present-day, commercial space company SpaceX again attempts to pioneer the rocket technology that would help mankind reach the red planet.
In 2037, the psychological pressures of life on Mars reveal themselves while the crew is trapped inside the habitat; in present-day, scientists study the effects of extreme isolation in various long-term analog missions.
A new crew arrives on Mars four years after the Daedalus landed to help execute plans for expansion and search for life; McMurdo Station in Antarctica serves as a modern example of how humans will settle Mars.
In 2033, the Daedalus crew struggles to find shelter that can provide protection from radiation; in present day documentary, European Space Agency and Roscosmos partner to launch an orbiter that will help future Mars missions prepare for settlement.
The Daedalus crew battles across the harsh Martian terrain to reach their base camp; in the present-day documentary, NASA astronaut undergoes a yearlong mission on the International Space Station to understand hardships of space exploration.
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.