COUNTDOWN TO MARS
aired Thursday, May 1, 2003
Program Description
In 1997 NASA's Mars Pathfinder spacecraft touched down, and half a billion visitors rushed to check out related websites. In January 2004, 2 new rovers--much larger and more sophisticated--will land. But the adventure is already under way, with launches due in June and July 2003.
Videotapes may be ordered directly from P2K.
FIRST LOOK
aired Saturday, January 17, 2004
Program Description
Just days after the first touchdown, but with enough time for the "Spirit" rover to have rolled off the lander and taken spectacular new images, FIRST LOOK aired live and interactive from the Houston Museum of Natural Science, TX, and NASA JPL, Pasadena, CA. Young visitors and their families interacted live with mission scientists about the latest pictures and information. Viewers anywhere across America sent questions via e-mail, and received instant answers from NASA researchers and Mars experts. "Spirit's" risky landing is given a sports-style "play-by-play", and the upcoming January 25 landing of the second rover, "Opportunity", is previewed.
Videotapes may be ordered directly from P2K.
NEW VIEWS
aired Saturday, May 1, 2004
Program Description
"Mission success" for the SPIRIT rover came on April 5, 2004, with operation on Mars for "90 sols", as a martian day is known. Success for its twin, OPPORTUNITY, will arrive in late April, 90 sols after its landing on January 25. But, already, the two rovers have succeeded in revolutionizing our understanding of Mars, and their achievements have energized the entire American space program.
Videotapes may be ordered directly from P2K.
BOUNCING TO MARS
first aired Fall 2003 (still airing on NASA TV)
Program Description
BOUNCING TO MARS goes behind the scenes to tell the story of their design and development, in the words of the diverse team of men and women who brought the robots to life. Shaped both by the "up" of the success of the 1997 "Pathfinder" spacecraft with its small "Sojourner" rover, and also by the "down" of the failure of the two 1998 Mars missions, the Mars Exploration Rovers project has been a battle against time, technical challenges, and budget.
Videotapes may be ordered directly from P2K.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
Appearing on PBS stations. Check local listings.
Program Description
After landing in January 2004, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, continued to operate on the Red Planet throughout 2005, many times longer than their designers and builders had initially promised. WHAT WENT RIGHT goes behind the scenes to present, in the candid words of the men and women who made it happen, why one of the most challenging missions of the entire space age succeeded, when so many other national endeavors have fallen short.
Videotapes may be ordered directly from P2K.
FOLLOWING THE WATER
Appearing on PBS stations. Check local listings.
Program Description
Are we alone in the Universe? Is there life beyond Earth? Now we have a way to begin answering such questions. Modern science replaces speculation, hunches, and belief, with hypotheses, experiment, and evidence.
Videotapes may be ordered directly from P2K.
