"Destination Mars" program script - part 1 of 2

PROGRAM 4- "DESTINATION MARS"
To air 10/30/97 on PBS and NASA-TV

INTENDED AS AN OVERVIEW OF NASA'S TWO CURRENT MISSIONS, AND HOW "LIVE FROM MARS" HAS CONNECTED STUDENTS WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PLAN AND FLY THEM -- FROM PRE-LAUNCH THROUGH LANDING.

This partial script is provided online to allow teachers to preview the program, and/or choose to review with students before watching the tape, to establish "anticipatory set."

You will find the program divided into five segments, loosely corresponding to the four preceding programs (1: "Countdown," November 19, 1996; 2: "Cruising Between the Planets," April 24, 1997; 3A: "Touchdown," July 6, 1997; & 3B: "Touchdown+ 6," July 9, 1997) together with a longer concluding segment on the Pathfinder results, and first science data from Global Surveyor.

PLEASE NOTE: SINCE THIS PROGRAM WAS COMPLETED, THE MGS PROJECT HAS PLACED A HOLD ON FURTHER AEROBRAKING ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO STUDY AN APPARENTLY MISALIGNED SOLAR PANEL. AND THE PATHFINDER TEAM HAS CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH BATTERY DEPLETION, AS NOTED IN THE PROGRAM.

Expect a full update during the LIVE November 13 program, "Today on Mars."

Each of the first four segments is approximately 10 minutes in length, providing easy-to-use "discussion starters" if you are beginning your exploration of Mars this school year. Yes, this is a TV program, but PLEASE start and stop the tape to allow for student comment, questions and even better, hands-on activities to be found in the LIVE FROM MARS Teacher's Guide and Multimedia Kit!

For videotape copies of this and all PTK/LFM programs, contact PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, 973.656.9403, or order by sending shipping information and $19.95 (3A & 3B -- $35.00 for the 2 hours) to:

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TEASE

Fuzzy, grainy images
"DESTINATION MARS"

OUR JOURNEY BEGAN A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, WITH FUZZY TELESCOPIC VIEWS

Schiaparelli and Lowell views:
AND FANCIFUL IDEAS OF A DESERT PLANET WITH GREAT CANALS AND AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION.

Mariner and Viking:
THEN IN THE 1960'S AND 70'S, SPACECRAFT TOOK US INTO ORBIT, REVEALING NO CANALS, BUT INSTEAD A DRAMATIC, INTERESTING PLANET AND CHANNELS THAT LOOKED AS IF THEY MUST ONCE HAVE BEEN CARVED BY RUNNING WATER.

Viking surface views
LANDING ON THE SURFACE, THE TWO VIKING SPACECRAFT, LOOKED FOR LIFE, FOUND NONE, AND, STUCK WHERE THEY LANDED, LEFT US DESPERATE TO EXPLORE THESE MYSTERIOUS ROCKS AND DUNES.

Best MPF shots
IN 1997, AFTER 21 YEARS, WE RETURNED TO THE RED PLANET.

ON JULY 4TH THE ROBOTIC PATHFINDER SPACECRAFT PLUNGED DOWN, BOUNCED HIGH AND HARD, THEN SAFELY CAME TO REST IN THE MOUTH OF AN ANCIENT FLOOD CHANNEL CALLED ARES VALLIS, "MARS VALLEY."

Rover deploy and CU's of Half Dome, etc. etc.

A DAY LATER, ITS MICRO-ROVER, "SOJOURNER", ROLLED OFF ITS RAMP, AND DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS TOOK US DRAMATICALLY CLOSE TO A TREASURE TROVE OF ANCIENT ROCKS, CONTAINING CLUES TO MARS' PAST.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS FROM FUZZY, DISTANT VIEWS TO CRISP SURFACE IMAGES FROM JUST INCHES AWAY!!!

MGS arrival: cheers: etc.
THEN, AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH, TWO MONTHS LATER ANOTHER SPACECRAFT, MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR, ALSO ARRIVED SAFELY AND BEGAN TO ORBIT MARS, PREPARING TO MAP THE ENTIRE PLANET IN GREATER DETAIL THAN EVER BEFORE.

CAMILLE STANDUP #1 ON CAMERA:
A LONG JOURNEY, FROM FAR AWAY, TO THRILLING CLOSE-UP, FROM DREAM TO REALITY

AND IN THE LAST YEAR, WHILE PATHFINDER AND SURVEYOR WERE ON THEIR WAY, "PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE" HAS PROVIDED STUDENTS WITH UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE THESE MISSIONS POSSIBLE.

THIS PROGRAM SHOWS YOU HOW WE GOT TO MARS, AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY.

I'M CAMILLE MOODY, WELCOME TO PROGRAM 4, "DESTINATION MARS"

SHOW OPEN/TITLES (:30)

SEGMENT 1- "COUNTDOWN" (10:27)

KSC Tour (Camille VO/SOT/VO) (1:00)

OUR JOURNEY BEGAN AT CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

THIS IS WHERE "APOLLO" LAUNCHED HUMANS TO THE MOON, AND WHERE THE ROBOTIC VIKING AND VOYAGER SPACECRAFT TOOK OFF FOR THE PLANETS.

NOW IT'S HOME BASE FOR AMERICA'S FLEET OF SPACE SHUTTLES, WITH ITS GIANT "VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING", AND HUGE "TRANSPORTER-CRAWLERS."

IN 1996 CAPE CANAVERAL WAS THE LAST STOP, ON EARTH, FOR NASA'S TWO MISSONS TO MARS, PATHFINDER AND GLOBAL SURVEYOR.

"LIVE FROM MARS" GOT STUDENTS AND OUR CAMERAS "BEHIND-THE-SCENES" AND UP CLOSE TO THE ACTUAL ROCKETS THAT WOULD TAKE PATHFINDER AND SURVEYOR TO THE RED PLANET.

THE DELTA 2 ROCKETS WERE FUELED AND READY TO GO, SO HARD HATS WERE A "MUST".

-Opening shot of MMS kids in front of VAB, VAB aerial (:12)
-Space shuttle on crawler (:05)
-Kids run to bus (:03)
-Aerial of Pad 17, kids walk towards pad (:10)
-SOUND
In- "This is my first time...
Out- ...one of these again." (:10)
-Kids looking at Delta on pad (:20)

CAMILLE:
SECURITY WAS TIGHT. SAFETY AND SCHEDULE WERE ON EVERYONE'S MIND, BUT THANKS TO NASA, McDONNELL DOUGLAS AND THE AIR FORCE, "LIVE FROM MARS" WAS ABLE TO TAKE STUDENTS WHERE NONE HAD GONE BEFORE.

3) MGS Launch (Camille VO/SOT) (:40)

CAMILLE: (00:20)

NOVEMBER 7TH 1996, STUDENTS FROM McNAIR MIDDLE SCHOOL WERE IN THE PRESS STANDS, WAITING OUT THE LAST MOMENTS BEFORE LAUNCH.

OUR FIRST PROGRAM WAS CALLED "COUNTDOWN" AND THIS WAS WHY!

-Establish kids at launch site (:20)
-SOUND
In- "5...4...3...2..
Out- ...back to the red planet"
(NATS rocket) (:20)

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

4) MPF Clean Room (Camille VO/SOT) (:56)

CAMILLE: (00:15)
GLOBAL SURVEYOR WAS SAFELY ON ITS WAY, AND PATHFINDER WAS JUST WEEKS FROM LAUNCH.

WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION AND SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS, "LIVE FROM MARS" WAS INVITED INSIDE ONE OF CAPE CANAVERAL'S CLEANEST CLEAN ROOMS, DESIGNED TO PROTECT SPACECRAFT FROM DUST, DIRT AND OTHER EARTHLY CONTAMINANTS.

JUST LIKE THE NASA ENGINEERS, MY CAMERAMAN AND I HAD TO CLEAN UP OUR ACT IN ORDER TO BE ALLOWED IN!

-Walking up to SAEF 2, through doors (:15)
-SOUND
In- "The first step...
Out- ...from the shoes." (:06)
In- "Now the next...
Out- ...exception of my face." (:13)
In- "You'll also notice...
Out- ...not on the spacecraft." (:19)
In- "And the last step...
Out- ...bunny booties." (:03)

VO BRIDGE (air shower) (:10)

CAMILLE: (00:10)
WAITING INSIDE TO SPEAK WITH US WAS PATHFINDER PROJECT MANAGER, TONY SPEAR OVER 3 INTENSE YEARS OF HARD WORK, HE AND HIS TEAM HAD GROWN VERY CLOSE TO "PATHFINDER"

5) Tony Spear- Clean Room Interview, Q&A (SOT) (2:34)
-SOUND
In- "There's your baby...
Out- ...absolutely beautiful!" (:16)
In- "OK, I know you want to...
Out- ...box that you see." (:50)
In- "OK. We've got some questions...
Out- ...by a certain date?" (:18)
In- "OK, yes, um...
Out- ...correct Earth spin." (:29)
In- "Hi. I'm Tiffany...
Out- ...to land on Mars?" (:10)
In- "Actually, we DO use a parachute...
Out- ...cushion on the air bags." (:21)
In- "Now, what we^̉re doing...
Out- ...in the next century." (:10)

From the testing seq., or the raw JPL AV release tape:
GETTING TO THIS POINT HAD REQUIRED YEARS OF RESEARCH.

PATHFINDER'S NEW AIRBAGS HAD BEEN POUNDED HARD AND FAST AGAINST ROCKS TO TEST THEIR STRENGTH.

ITS PARACHUTES AND RETRO-ROCKETS HAD BEEN DROPPED FROM HELICOPTERS.

THE SOJOURNER ROVER--JUST ABOUT THE SIZE OF A LASER PRINTER! -- HAD BEEN DRIVEN OVER ROCKS AND ITS CAMERAS AND LASER GUIDANCE SYSTEM TESTED TIME AND AGAIN

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

CAMILLE:
ALONG WITH VIDEO VISITS TO PLACES THAT ARE NORMALLY OFF- LIMITS, "PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE" OFFERS CLASSROOM PROJECTS THAT MAKE REAL-WORLD SCIENCE COME TO LIFE.

THE "LIVE FROM MARS" TEACHER'S GUIDE HAS 19 DIFFERENT HANDS- ON ACTIVITIES THAT EXPLORE ASTRONOMY, PHYSICS, GEOLOGY, CLIMATE

v.o. tape from LFM 3B:
NEIL TYSON, FROM THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, NEW YORK, DEMONSTRATED HOW BALLOON ROCKETS CAN MAKE THE PRINCIPLES OF FORCE, MOMENTUM, ACCELERATION AND PAYLOAD MEANINGFUL.

Balloon fizzless
NEWTON'S LAWS OF MOTION HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN SO MUCH FUN!

Tape from LFM 102: go for the humorous shots, with water splashing etc. AND THIS STREAM TABLE ACTIVITY, WHILE PRETTY MESSY, INVITES STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT WITH FLOODS AND FLOWS SIMULATING THE PROCESSES WHICH SEEM TO HAVE SCULPTED THE SURFACE OF MARS.

THEIR RESULTS LOOK JUST LIKE NASA'S ACTUAL ORBITAL IMAGES!

THE INTENT IS TO BRING MARS "DOWN TO EARTH" IN PRACTICAL, MEMORABLE ACTIVITIES.

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:
7) Matt Golombek Interview (Camille VO/SOT) (1:02)

CAMILLE:
WHILE I WAS DOWN IN FLORIDA, NEIL TYSON, DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM'S HAYDEN PLANETARIUM, WAS UP IN WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, WITH PATHFINDER PROJECT SCIENTIST MATT GOLOMBEK.

Quick shots from Goddard seq.
WHY WORCESTER? BECAUSE IT WAS THE CHILDHOOD HOME OF ROBERT GODDARD, "FATHER" OF AMERICAN ROCKETRY!

-Establishing shot of Matt and Neil (:15)
-SOUND
In- "We spent about 2 1/2 years...
Out- ...84001." (:27)
In- "So, we're just two weeks away...
Out- ...won't have one like that." (:20)

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

8) MPF Launch (Camille VO/SOT) (:30)

DECEMBER 4TH, 1996, VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING.

PATHFINDER'S DELTA ROCKET LIT UP THE FLORIDA COAST AND THE SPACECRAFT WAS SAFELY ON ITS WAY.

BUT WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE PLANET WHERE IT'S HEADED, "DESTINATION MARS", AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO KNOW?

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:
9) Neil Tyson's Mars Package (SOT) (2:20)
-SOUND
In- "Mars...the red planet...
Out- ...our own atmosphere." (:50)
In- "In the late sixties...
Out- ...here on Earth." (1:30)

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

SEGMENT 2- "CRUISING BETWEEN THE PLANETS" (11:30)

1) Camille Standup (SOT/VO)

CAMILLE to camera:
WITH BOTH MISSIONS SAFELY ON THEIR WAY, THE ACTION SHIFTED FROM CAPE CANAVERAL BACK WEST TO THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY WITH BOTH MISSIONS SAFELY ON THEIR WAY, THE ACTION SHIFTED FROM CAPE CANAVERAL BACK WEST TO THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY (JPL) IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, MANAGED FOR NASA BY THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

Establishing shots:
AND, IN APRIL 1997, OUR SECOND "LIVE FROM MARS" PROGRAM, "CRUISING BETWEEN THE PLANETS" ORIGINATED LIVE FROM JPL.

OUR GUIDES WERE PATHFINDER CHIEF ENGINEER ROB MANNING, AND GLOBAL SURVEYOR MISSION PLANNER WAYNE LEE.

THEY TOOK US BEHIND THE SCENES TO VISIT JPL'S 25 FOOT SPACE SIMULATOR, WHERE ROBOT EXPLORERS ARE EXPOSED TO THE EXTREME CONDITIONS THEY'LL ENCOUNTER IN SPACE.

WE VISITED THE "MARS YARD" WHERE NEXT GENERATION ROVERS ARE TESTED.

WE PEERED INTO THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK'S MISSION CONTROL COMMUNICATIONS CENTRAL FOR ALL AMERICA'S DEEP SPACE PROBES

WE GAZED THROUGH PROTECTIVE WINDOWS IN JPL'S VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING, WHERE THE CASSINI SPACECRAFT, DESTINED FOR SATURN, WAS BEING GIVEN A FINAL CHECK-OUT.

ROB MANNING GAVE US AN INSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE PATHFINDER TEAM WAS UP TO.

EVEN THOUGH THEIR BABY WAS WELL ON ITS WAY TO MARS, THEY WERE REHEARSING, >AND< REHEARSING, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO ON JULY 4TH, LANDING DAY.

WE WERE THERE AT JPL, RIGHT IN THE "SANDBOX" WHERE THEY WERE TESTING FLIGHT SPARES OF PATHFINDER AND SOJOURNER, DURING A CRITICAL "S.N.O.R.T." A "SURFACE NOMINAL OPERATIONS READINESS TEST"!

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

2) Rob Manning in Sandbox/ORT (SOT) (1:36)
-SOUND
In- "What we do here is...
Out- ...this lander and this rover." (:13)
In- "OK, now here's some footage...
Out- ...in a hurry." (:28)
In- "What's happening here...
Out- ...what are they doing?" (:04)
In- "Here the team is...
Out- ...where the petal was." (:18)
In- (from Prog. 2 @ 37:50) "One of the hooks we threw...
Out- ...see behind me." (:33)

VO BRIDGE (:10)

CAMILLE (00:10) bridge to Brian Cooper:

CLOSE BY, BRIAN COOPER -- SELECTED AS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THE ROVER ON MARS -- WAS HARD AT WORK WITH A VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION SHOWING HOW THE MISSION TEAM WOULD SELECT WHERE SOJOURNER WOULD GO AND GENERATE COMMANDS.

3) Brian Cooper Package (SOT) (1:14)
-SOUND
In- "What we have here...
Out- ...waypoints." (1:14)

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

4) Sojourner Animation (Camille VO) (:30)

THE SOJOURNER ROVER, NAMED AFTER THE FAMOUS ABOLITIONIST SOJOURNER TRUTH, IS DESIGNED TO SLOWLY ROLL ACROSS THE SURFACE OF MARS AND EXPLORE THE SOIL AND ROCKS.

THE FIRST-EVER ROBOTIC GEOLOGIST ON ANOTHER PLANET, SOJOURNER USES SMALL CAMERAS TO GIVE SCIENTISTS CLOSE-UP VIEWS OF ROCK SURFACES.

IT CAN USE ITS SPECIALLY-DESIGNED WHEELS TO DIG INTO THE SURFACE OF MARS, REVEALING INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEXTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE MARTIAN SOIL.

IT HAS A SPECIAL "SNIFFER" WHICH BOMBARDS ROCKS WITH ATOMIC PARTICLES TO CHARACTERIZE WHAT MINERALS THEY'RE MADE OFF.

BACK IN APRIL 97, ALL THIS WAS JUST COMPUTER ANIMATION. NOW WE KNOW PATHFINDER AND SOJOURNER WOULD SURVIVE FOR MANY MONTHS ON MARS, RETURNING AMAZING AND INSTRUCTIVE DATA.

DOWN HERE ON EARTH, "PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE" POINTED STUDENTS TO A PROJECT CALLED "RED ROVER, RED ROVER," DIRECTED BY "THE PLANETARY SOCIETY," IN WHICH STUDENTS ACROSS AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD BUILD MODEL ROVERS AND CONTROL THEM REMOTELY, OVER THE INTERNET!

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

5) Red Rover Package (SOT) (1:33)
-SOUND
In- "The project is called...
Out- ...route looks safest." (1:04)
In- "Unlike Sojourner...
Out- ...have a lot of fun!" (:29)

CAMILLE V.O.
WE ALSO CAUGHT UP WITH TONY SPEAR. THOUGH THINGS WERE GOING WELL, HE KNEW THE RISKIEST PART OF THE MISSION WAS FAST APPROACHING--PATHFINDER'S FINAL DESCENT TO THE MARTIAN SURFACE.

TONY SYNC:

WIPE/DISSOLVE TO:

6) Marvelous Mars- "Temperature & Time" (SOT) (:40)

VO BRIDGE (:10)
CAMILLE:

Use some mission computer animation showing the route of the s/c GETTING FROM EARTH TO A PRECISE PLACE, ON, OR INTO ORBIT AROUND MARS IS NO EASY TASK.

8) CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE CENTRIFUGE/ROUNDABOUT

THIS DEMONSTRATION FROM NASA'S CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE SHOWS THE CHALLENGE--ITS' TOUGH TO HIT A MOVING TARGET...

EARTH AND MARS ARE BOTH TRAVELING AROUND THE SUN TO GET A SPACECRAFT FROM EARTH TO MARS YOU HAVE TO AIM WHERE THE PLANET WILL BE WHEN YOU ARRIVE, NOT WHERE IT IS WHEN YOU LAUNCH.

Use scenes of the MGS math engineering team at work, and establish Wayne in that context before seeing him on camera: "PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE" ASKED GLOBAL SURVEYOR MISSION PLANNER WAYNE LEE TO EXPLAIN HOW ENGINEERS USE LOGIC, MATH, PROBLEM-SOLVING >AND TEAMWORK< TO GET THERE.

7) Wayne Lee/MGS Math Package (SOT) (1:17)
Out- ...and science sites." (1:02)