Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: WGBH Boston
• DVD Release Date: March 22, 2005
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007GP79G
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,891 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #24 in	Movies & TV > Documentary > Space Exploration
  #40 in	Movies & TV > Documentary > Series & Studios > PBS > NOVA

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Go inside mission control and explore Mars with rovers Spirit & Opportunity.

Take an astounding look at the red planet in this interplanetary adventure that picks up where the acclaimed film MARS Dead or Alive left off. From the white-knuckle landings of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, through months of frustrating setbacks and elating discoveries, Welcome to Mars captures the gripping drama and the breathtaking images of the most significant mission events.

Mission Control and its two robotic explorers face a daunting task–find proof that liquid water, the essential ingredient of life, once existed on Mars. Just days into the mission, euphoria turns to despair as Spirit suddenly stops communicating with NASA. With the mission on the line, restoring communications with the rover becomes a nerve-shredding ordeal before the problem is solved. Then, Opportunity serendipitously lands near a scientifically valuable rock outcrop that provides crucial evidence allowing NASA to announce solid proof that Mars was once awash in water.

Through unprecedented access, Welcome to Mars presents a compelling inside story of triumph, technical ingenuity, and emotional drama packed with stunning images from an alien world.

Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too little depth. Read the Steve Squyres book instead., January 5, 2007

By	Jon Gibson Mcgill (Kerava, Finland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I liked the video because it contains real footage of the actual events that transpired when the rovers landed, but it's way too short and in too little depth. If it had been longer, then maybe it would have been good.

For anyone who has followed the MER mission or watched the webcasts on NASA tv, there is way too little that is new in this DVD. I recommend instead to read the Steve Squyres book, Roving Mars which is well written and details the MER project and the history leading up to this mission.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Walk on another world, September 12, 2006

By	James Davison (Nashville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The twin cameras mounted on the mast of the Mars rovers are spaced about the same distance as human eyes, and the same height as a person standing on the sandy desert. In this strange and alien place, you can walk in the wheel tracks of the first mobile explorers ever to venture onto the surface of another planet -- where every photo could contain a fossil or rock layer that holds the secrets of another planet's history. The engineering and scientific effort to achieve this is one of the greatest feats of our civilization, and surely one of the greatest thrills for anyone who has ever wondered about other worlds. Both rovers are still exploring, and new photos arrive every day. Personally, I can think of nothing more pleasant to enjoy with my morning coffee than a survey of the cold, hostile images of Mars -- free for anybody with an internet connection. Poet or engineer -- don't miss a chance to see your first up-close view of the red planet! -- Auralgo

4.0 out of 5 stars NOVA: Welcome To Mars (2005) - Very good film by NOVA, March 31, 2009

By	Keith Mirenberg (www.spaceanimations.org) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

NOVA: Welcome To Mars (2005)was a four star film by NOVA and is recommended for all fans of planetary science and NASA. This film should be watched serially after watching Mars, Dead or Alive as it continues where that film leaves off providing excellent documentation of the mars rover missions once they "landed" and started their exploration of the Martian surface.

Welcome to Mars documents "proof" of the existance of free standing water on the early surface of Mars. It also documents how scientists and engineers work together to change a dream into hardware and reality, while providing useful scientific and cost effective data.

My hat is off to this new generation of government workers at NASA and their great efforts to explore Mars and prepare the way for manned expeditions sometime in the future.