Customer Reviews

Five Years On Mars

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The story is how two 400-pound wheeled robots far exceeded their design specifications and everyone's expectations to explore and make discoveries on that distant and hostile world known as Mars. They had worked on that planet for five years (and longer) when this film was released. Thanks to excellence in engineering and construction, expert guidance, and not a little ingenuity and luck, the two MERs (Mars Exploration Rovers) have delivered thousands of images and enough data to keep planetary scientists busy with journal articles for years. Our ideas of the true nature and history of Mars have been re-shaped. The successes of MERs "Spirit" and "Opportunity" in the areas of science and engineering are legion. The surprise is how emotionally invested we can become in the exploits and fates of two sophisticated hunks of machinery.

This film brings to the viewer the feeling that we are there, on Mars, hiking alongside those wonderful little machines as they struggle to survive sand traps, dust storms, and the incredibly cold Martian winters. The narration is fact-filled and interesting. Interviews with the principle scientists, engineers, and technicians are appropriate and impart the intensity of human involvement in the rovers' operation and their fates. Imagery is accurate and beautiful (though the speed of animated rover movement has been greatly increased for the sake of illustration). This film has shown a number of times on the National Geographic Channel and is as superb an example of a space science documentary as you will find. It is far superior to many current space science programs that emphasize incredible "what-ifs," explosions, repeated action sequences, and vapid narrative. This engrossing true life adventure of exploration and discovery shines bright. Those interested in space exploration, particularly that of the Red Planet, will enjoy viewing this film repeatedly and will want to add it to their collections. It is highly recommended.

This is a really entertaining documentary story. The adventure of the two robots as they explore and discover the surface of Mars is as big a challenge as anyone can imagine. Backed by the enthusiastic ground control and passionate dedication you as the viewer get drawn in to this excellent story telling and state of the art graphics and sound like a child at a campfire listening to his or her first ghost story. I absolutely adored the scientists' metaphors as they describe the problems and triumphs in the operation from so far away. It left me feeling like I had been there and wanting more. There must be a sequel, The story must go on!!

I am very pleased with this video as it covers the recent years of American robotic exploration of Mars terrain, minerals and what a manned mission may expect. The search for sites of frozen water and C02 will make sustained exploration of 18 months missions possible. Not overly technical and interesting for all ages. The usual high standards of National Gegraphic are met.

Five years, two rovers, and hardly any genuine Mars images except for a lot of computer animated garbage. It would have made much more sense to base this documentary from the rovers own eyes, and not the NG art studio.