Live From Mars was active July 1996-December 1997.
Below is the *draft* script of the July 6th 14:00-16:00 EST "Touchdown!" telecast, the third program in the Live From Mars series. Some small bits may change, but this should provide a fairly good preview for those who are interested.
Passport to Knowledge provides the draft script as a vehicle for educators, science centers, science museums to prepare students for viewing the live program and establishing the proper "Anticipatory Set". The format may seem a bit foreign to educators but this is the traditional script format used as the basis of television programs. You will see the flow of the program segments and the length of each segment indicated in minutes/seconds in parenthesis.
We hope this gives you an "inside" look at "Touchdown!" and facilitates integrating this live telecast into the educational setting.
PROGRAM 3A: SUNDAY JULY 6, 1997
TITLE = "TOUCHDOWN!"
LIVE NATIONALLY: 14:00-16:00 EASTERN
a) NASA-TV & GE-2 (tr/ch. 21), C-band
b) PBS (Telstar 402, Ku-band)
UPLINKS:
JPL: host: David Seidel, JPL Education Office and a
"voice of Pathfinder" for the mission
JPL MISSION GUESTS:
Donna Shirley, Rob Manning, Matt Golombek, Tony Spear
PLANETFEST (The Planetary Society, Pasadena), host Rich Terrile
AMNH, NYC: hosts: Neil Tyson and Camille Moody, and kid host
Sasha Stiles
COSI, Columbus: host: Kathryn Sullivan, and local newscast kids,
and WBNS anchor (weatherman)
DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, CO: host Don Asquin
1. UNDERWRITER ANNOUNCE / VTR (00:15) ET 00:15
2. "LIVE FROM MARS & JPL" / VTR & LIVE (00:30) ET 00:45
Camille voice over live video
THIS IS NASA'S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, IN PASADENA
CALIFORNIA *HOME TO AMERICA'S ROBOTIC EXPLORERS OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM*
Live NASA-TV feed, via MSU
AND THIS IS PATHFINDER MISSION CONTROL *IN DIRECT CONTACT
WITH THE SPACECRAFT THAT LANDED SAFELY ON MARS AT (TBD)
PACIFIC TIME JULY 4TH*
Still frame of best image: MSU-VTR
THIS IS AN IMAGE JUST RECEIVED BACK FROM MARS SHOWING ROCKS
AND THE SOJOURNER ROVER DEPLOYED SAFELY SOME (TBD)
METERS AWAY FROM THE LANDER.
NASA-TV, MSU FEED
FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS WE'RE GOING TO USE LIVE TV AND THE
INTERNET TO BRING ALL OF YOU AS CLOSE TO MARS AS WE CAN BE ON
EARTH
3. SITE INTROS / VTR & LIVE (01:00) ET 01:45
Camille intro Neil and AMNH site and we see all the
live site CITIES - AMNH, COSI, Denver
LIVE SHOTS from PFEST and throw to show open
Camille:
HELLO, I'M CAMILLE MOODY, AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL
HISTORY IN NEW YORK CITY
See Neil
WITH ME IS NEIL TYSON, DIRECTOR OF THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM
NEIL:
HELLO, EVERYBODY, THIS IS A FULL-SIZE MODEL OF THE PATHFINDER
SPACECRAFT, BUT TODAY WE'LL BE SEEING THROUGH THE EYES OF
THE REAL THING, WHICH IS NOW SITTING ON CHRYSE PLANITIA, THE
"PLAINS OF GOLD" ON MARS, SOME CHECK MILLION KILOMETERS FROM
EARTH!
CAMILLE:
WITH US HERE IN THE MUSEUM'S HALL OF METEORITES WE'VE
GOT AN AUDIENCE OF PRETTY EXCITED FAMILIES AND YOUNG
PEOPLE
Map, logo, tape
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IS RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK JUST A FEW
MILES FROM TIMES SQUARE, AND IT'S ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT
MUSEUMS KNOWN FOR DINOSAURS AND LIFELIKE DIORAMAS OF
THE NATURAL WORLD
graphic
ALSO WITH US LIVE VIA SATELLITE, VISITORS AT OHIO'S CENTER OF
SCIENCE & INDUSTRY, KNOWN AS "COSI" IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, STATE
CAPITOL, HOME TO OVER A HUNDRED IMMIGRANT GROUPS AND ALSO
HOME STATE OF NEIL ARMSTRONG, THE FIRST HUMAN TO WALK ON THE
MOON.
graphic
ALSO LIVE, THE GATES PLANETARIUM AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF
NATURAL HISTORY DENVER, THE MILE-HIGH CITY, CLOSE TO THE
PLACE WHERE "MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR" -- A COMPANION TO THE
PATHFINDER SPACECRAFT -- WAS BUILT
AND OUT IN CALIFORNIA, CLOSE TO JPL, WE'RE ALSO COMING TO YOU
LIVE FROM "PLANETFEST." THIS IS THE LAST OF 3 DAYS CELEBRATING
OUR EXPLORATION OF SPACE, ORGANIZED BY THE PLANETARY
SOCIETY
Camille on camera: ticks off the high points:
STICK WITH US, FOR THE VERY LATEST IMAGES FROM MARS,
INTERACTION WITH NASA MARS TEAM AND A HUNDRED AND ONE
WAYS YOU CAN BRING THE EXCITEMENT OF EXPLORING THE
UNIVERSE DOWN TO EARTH
WELCOME TO "LIVE FROM MARS," PROGRAM 3, "TOUCHDOWN"
4. LFM OPEN SEQUENCE / VTR (01:00) ET 02:45
5. CAMILLE INTROS ALL SITES LIVE & VTR (00:15) ET 03:00
Camille:
WELCOME BACK.
NYC-VTR:
OUT IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, WE'VE GOT SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
SPACEFLIGHT FIRST HAND. THIS IS KATHRYN SULLIVAN, DURING ONE OF
HER SPACEWALKS, HELPING DEPLOY THE HUBBLE SPACE
TELESCOPE. LATER SHE SERVED AS CHIEF SCIENTIST FOR THE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
WHO'S WITH YOU, KATHY?
6. COSI INTRO / LIVE & VTR (00:30) ET 03:30
Kathy Sullivan intros Columbus site, and who's there,
and throws to Denver
Kathy:
CAMILLE, WE'VE GOT NEARLY A THOUSAND VISITORS WITH US
BUILDING ROBOTS OUT OF HUMANS AND DOING ALL KINDS OF NEAT
HANDS-ON STUFF, AND COURTESY OF KBNS, OUR LOCAL CBS
AFFILIATE, WE'RE BROADCASTING LIVE TO THE ENTIRE COLUMBUS
AREA
A LITTLE LATER, YOU'LL SEE (tbd) GIVING US A WEATHERCAST
FOR SITES ALL ACROSS AMERICA, AND FOR MARS! IT'LL BE THE FIRST,
REAL-TIME INTERPLANETARY WEATHER REPORT!
NOW, OVER TO DENVER!
7. DENVER INTRO / LIVE (00:30) ET 04:00
Don Asquin intros Denver site, and who's there, and
throws to PFEST
Don:
THANKS, KATHY, AND HELLO EVERYONE. I'M DON ASQUIN, HEAD OF THE
GATES PLANETARIUM.
Other cameras show the action:
WE'VE GOT ABOUT 20 "EXPLORATION STATIONS" IN OPERATION HERE
AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND WE'VE GOT
HUNDREDS OF VISITORS BUILDING MARS-SCAPES, MAKING
SPACECRAFT, AND GENERALLY HAVING FUN
NOW OVER TO PLANETFEST!
8. PLANETFEST INTRO / LIVE OR TAPE (00:30) ET 04:30
Host voice over live scenes and throws to David Seidel at JPL
Rich Terrile
HELLO, EVERYONE. I'M RICH TERRILE. MY DAY JOB IS AS A PLANETARY
ASTRONOMER AT JPL BUT TODAY I'M HELPING OUT MY FRIENDS AT
THE PLANETARY SOCIETY.
WE'VE HAD ABOUT 25,000 VISITORS HERE AT "PLANETFEST" OVER THE
PAST 3 DAYS-- TEACHERS, ASTRONAUTS, SCIENCE FICTION FANS,
YOUNG AND OLD, ALL JOINING TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE
PATHFINDER'S LANDING.
BUT THEY ALSO CAME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMERICA'S OTHER
SPACECRAFT PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.
HEROIC EXPLORERS LIKE GALILEO, WHICH HAS RETURNED SUCH
AMAZING IMAGES FROM JUPITER AND ITS ICY MOON EUROPA, AND TO
HEAR ABOUT FUTURE MISSIONS TO EUROPA, TITAN AND OUT TO
DISTANT PLUTO!
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHOWING YOU MORE LATER
NOW OVER TO DAVID SEIDEL AT JPL
9. WHAT'S HAPPENING AT JPL / LIVE (01:00) ET 05:30
Wide shot, then close-up:
David:
WELCOME TO JPL! I'M DAVID SEIDEL, AND FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS I'VE
BEEN ONE OF THE MISSION COMMENTATORS FOR NASA'S COVERAGE
OF THE MARS PATHFINDER LANDING. SO I'VE SEEN FIRST-HAND SOME
OF THE TRULY AMAZING SIGHTS WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU.
JPL -- QUITE FRANKLY -- IS A "ZOO," TO USE THE TECHNICAL TERM.
THERE ARE JOURNALISTS AND TV CREWS HERE FROM ALL AROUND
THE WORLD AND CELEBRITIES AND NASA BIG-WIGS WHO GET TO QUIZ
THE SCIENTISTS FIRST-HAND.
BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN THESE NEXT FEW HOURS IS TO MAKE
ALL OF YOU THE "BIG-WIGS," TO LET YOU GO BEHIND THE HEADLINES,
AND INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE BUILT
AND FLOWN THE PATHFINDER MISSION
See Donna
WITH ME FIRST IS DONNA SHIRLEY, MANAGER OF THE MARS
EXPLORATION PROGRAM, AND ONE OF THE TEAM WHICH DREAMT UP
PATHFINDER AND SOJOURNER. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, DONNA, AT
SUCH A BUSY TIME. WHAT'S THE SINGLE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF
THE PAST 2 DAYS?
Donna:
GREAT TO BE HERE. WE'VE GOT SOME AMAZING THINGS TO SHARE
DAVID, I GUESS IT'S THAT WE GOT THERE AT ALL AND LANDED
SAFELY (she gives a 30 second headline)
David:
THANKS DONNA, LOTS MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU LATER.
CAMILLE, WHY DON'T YOU START OFF BY SHOWING US HOW
PATHFINDER GOT TO MARS
10. "TOUCHDOWN" / VTR w/ LIVE V.O. (03:00) ET 08:30
scenes from launch through landing, archive, plus NASA
CG animation, plus July 4th landing scenes with "You are
There" feel
1OA Camille voice over
DECEMBER 4th 1996 PATHFINDER TOOK OFF ABOARD A DELTA 2
ROCKET, A SPECTACULAR NIGHT LAUNCH WHICH LIT UP THE ENTIRE
AREA AROUND CAPE CANAVERAL
BUT THE WORK REALLY STARTED YEARS BEFORE
Dissolve to test and building shots
PATHFINDER IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF SO-CALLED "DISCOVERY"
MISSIONS DESIGNED TO BE MUCH CHEAPER TO BUILD AND FLY,
FASTER OFF THE DRAWING BOARD AND OUT INTO SPACE, AND MUCH
MORE NUMEROUS AND REGULARLY LAUNCHED THAN THE BIG
SPACECRAFT OF THE PAST WITH 2 OR 3 MISSIONS STARTING EACH
YEAR.
BUT THAT MEANT PATHFINDER NEEDED NEW KINDS OF ENGINEERING
TO PERFORM ON TIME AND BUDGET
THERE WERE TESTS OF PARACHUTES AND SMALL RETRO-ROCKETS
PATHFINDER COULDN'T CARRY ENOUGH FUEL FOR A POWERED
LANDING SO -- FOR THE FIRST TIME ON AN AMERICAN SPACE MISSION --
THERE WERE KEVLAR-REINFORCED AIRBAGS TO CUSHION ITS FINAL
DESCENT
THE DESIGNERS BASHED THE BAGS ACROSS ROCK-STUDDED SLOPES
TO TEST HOW TOUGH THEY'D REALLY BE
PATHFINDER CARRIES A SMALL MICRO-ROVER NAMED "SOJOURNER" --
JUST ABOUT THE SIZE OF A LASER-PRINTER, BUT EQUIPPED WITH A
SOPHISTICATED SENSOR TO ASSAY MARS' ROCKS
Mission animation
UP IN SPACE, THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGES FELL AWAY, AND
PATHFINDER LEFT EARTH ORBIT EN ROUTE FOR MARS
ON MARCH 14TH. 1997, PATHFINDER PASSED AMERICA'S OTHER
CURRENT MARS MISSION, GLOBAL SURVEYOR. TAKING A MORE DIRECT
ROUTE, PATHFINDER ARRIVED 3 MONTHS EARLIER THAN SURVEYOR,
WHICH ACTUALLY LAUNCHED ONE MONTH EARLIER!
10B Camille on camera
WHICH CARRIES US UP TO THE MOMENTOUS EVENTS OF THE PAST 2
DAYS DAVID AND DONNA, BRING US UP TO DATE
10C David and Donna vo MSU roll
David:
DONNA, WHY DON'T YOU TALK US THROUGH JULY 4TH
Donna (voice over June 30th animation) MSU-VTR
THIS IS A COMPUTER SIMULATION OF WHAT WE THINK HAPPENED AT
(CHECK HOURS), DURING THE MARTIAN NIGHT, PATHFINDER ENTERED
THE ATMOSPHERE, TRAVELING 17,000 MILES PER HOUR. THEN
NEXT
MSU-VTR of NASA-TV feed
DOWN HERE ON EARTH, THINGS WERE PRETTY TENSE. ALL THE 150
PEOPLE ON THE MARS PATHFINDER TEAM COULD DO WAS
MONITOR A KIND OF CARRIER SIGNAL FROM THE SPACECRAFT WHICH
ONLY LET THEM KNOW IT WAS STILL ALIVE AND FUNCTIONING
THIS WAS THE SCENE HERE AT JPL AT (CHECK) HOURS FRIDAY WHEN
WE FINALLY GOT DATA BACK FROM THE SURFACE. NOW WE KNEW
PATHFINDER AT LEAST HAD LANDED SAFELY.
David:
WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THAT FIRST BATCH OF INFORMATION?
Donna:
EDL data
David:
THEN WHAT?
Donna:
AT 6.15 PACIFIC TIME ON JULY 4TH, WE GOT THE FIRST PICTURES
FROM THE SURFACE, THEN JUST A LITTLE LATER OUR FIRST IMAGE OF
SOJOURNER ON ITS PETAL
or possibly...
AND THOUGH WE'D HOPED TO GET THE ROVER OFF, WE JUST DIDN'T
MAKE IT ON JULY 4TH, SO THAT WAS THE END OF THE FIRST DAY IN
OVER 21 YEARS THAT A SPACECRAFT FROM EARTH TOUCHED DOWN
ON MARS
David on camera
WOW! NOW OVER TO OUR OTHER LIVE SITES FOR FIRST QUESTIONS
TO DONNA ABOUT THESE AMAZING EVENTS
11. SITE/JPL INTERACTION #1 / LIVE (04:00) ET 12:30
11.A Neil brokers 2 NYC questions to JPL
and throws to Kathy
11.B Kathy in COSI who brokers 2 question to JPL,
and throws to Don
11.C Don in Denver, who brokers 2 questions to JPL,
and throws to Camille at AMNH
12. CAMILLE: "HANDS-ON" / LIVE & GFX (00:30) ET 13:00
Camille:
THANKS DONNA, WE'LL BE BACK FOR MORE QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND
IMAGES SOON.
WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS MISSION IS PRETTY UNUSUAL BECAUSE
ITS EVENTS ARE BEING SHARED IN CLOSE TO REAL TIME WITH PEOPLE
ACROSS AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD, USING SPACE AGE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS -- SATELLITES, LIVE TV, AND THE INTERNET.
See computer and Sasha
IN FACT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AT ONE OF OUR LIVE UPLINKS TO
SEND QUESTIONS. SASHA STILES IS OVER THERE AT OUR INTERNET
COMPUTER, WAITING TO PASS ALONG YOUR MESSAGES. DURING THIS
LIVE PROGRAM SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO:
graphic
ONAIR-DASH-LFM AT QUEST-DOT-A.R.C.-DOT-NASA-DOT-GOV,
THAT'S G.O.V
Camille on camera
WE WON'T GET TO ALL OF THEM, BUT LATER WE'LL TELL HOW EACH
AND EVERY QUESTION CAN GET AN ANSWER AFTER OUR PROGRAM'S
OVER
NASA-TV LIVE FEED via MSU
AND THIS SET OF MARS MISSIONS IS ALSO DIFFERENT BECAUSE DONNA
AND THE NASA TEAM HAS BUILT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH INTO
THEIR PLANNING AS NEVER BEFORE AND HAS BEEN COOPERATING
WITH PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE TO BRING MARS DOWN TO EARTH.
WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT MARS? HERE'S NEIL WITH WHAT WE KNEW
BEFORE PATHFINDER
12B. NEW VTR SEQUENCE: REPRISE FROM LFM 101, 03:00
12C. CAMILLE LEAD TO EGG-DROP
Camille works with the studio audience who show the
props: balloons, eggs, etc.
Camille:
HERE'S AN ACTIVITY YOU CAN READ ABOUT IN OUR SPECIAL "MARS
GAZETTE" NEWSPAPER WHICH LETS YOU EXPERIMENT WITH
LANDING A FRAGILE OBJECT-- YEP, A HUMBLE EGG -- SAFELY ON THE
HARD SURFACE OF A PLANET.
HERE'S NEIL AND ASTRONOMY EDUCATOR AMIE GALLAGHER WITH A
GROUP OF NEW YORK KIDS WITH AN EGGS-CITING DEMONSTRATION
13. EGG-DROP / VTR (03:00) ET 16:00
Neil and Amie lead the kids thru the activity
14. MARVELOUS MARS #1 / VTR (00:30) ET 16:30
Risks, only 8 of 29 Mars missions have returned useful data
15. SITE/JPL INTERACTION #2 / LIVE & VTR (06:00) ET 22:30
15A Neil Tyson introduces the "Most Valuable Picture" from
Mars, how the data comes back and uses the "MVP"
from the first day on Mars (01:45)
includes:
MSU produced TAPE SEGMENT HEADER and MVP "host"
15B. Denver and JPL (02:00)
15C. COSI and JPL (02:00)
15D. Camille says "Bye" from AMNH to Donna back to work (00:15)
Neil:
ALONG WITH BEING AN ASTRONOMY PROFESSOR, I'M A PRETTY
DEVOTED BASEBALL FAN "GO YANKS!" -- SO I
KNOW ALL ABOUT M.V.P.S BUT SCIENCE CAN BE JUST AS MUCH FUN
AS SPORTS, SO WE'D THOUGHT EACH HOUR WE'D BRING YOU A
DIFFERENT KIND OF "MVP" DIRECT FROM MARS.
Roll VTR graphic (00:15)
Neil:
DONNA, THIS IS YOUR M.V.P. FROM MARS. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT
IT?
DAVID HUTTO: DO YOU HAVE A TELESTRATOR, FOR SPORTS, IN THE
TRUCK???
Donna:
THIS IS WHAT'S CALLED THE MISSION SUCCESS PAN, AND WHAT IT
SHOWS IS OVER HERE..., ON THE LEFT..., WE CAN SEE OVER THERE ON
THE RIGHT...
Neil:
Question
Donna:
Answer
Camille:
GREAT DONNA, NOW OVER TO DON IN DENVER
Don helps visitors ask 2 questions of Donna
Don:
THANKS, DONNA, NOW OVER TO KATHY SULLIVAN IN COLUMBUS
Kathy helps visitors ask 2 questions of Donna
Camille:
THANKS DONNA, NOW IT'S TIME TO LET YOU GET BACK TO THE
MISSION BYE, FOR NOW, AND THANKS.
Donna:
GOODBYE EVERYONE, WISH US LUCK FOR THE COMING DAYS AND
WEEKS!
Camille:
YOU KNOW, AS WE WENT OUT ON THE STREET AROUND THE NATION IN
THE CITIES OF OUR LIVE UPLINKS, WE FOUND NOT EVERYONE WAS
QUITE SO WELL INFORMED ABOUT MARS AS DONNA!
(to be continued in Part 2)
