FollowThe start of the interviews for applicants, for the one-way journey to Mars, has my 13 year old daughter all excited. "Imagine! A life in space. What can be more awesome than that? "
The thought of humans establishing a permanent colony in Mars is just as my daughter said, mind-blowing! Since I was a kid, there has been much talk about the possibility that humans can actually live on Mars because of its proximity and similarities with Earth. Now this dream is now a reality as President Obama announced that NASA will send astronauts to MARS before the end of the 2030’s. Several private groups, like SpaceX and Mars One, are also embarking on this epic journey. Mars One has already started interviewing applicants for a one-way journey to Mars. While SpaceX made a successful landing of a drone in Mars last 2016.
The journey to Mars is a mission the whole human kind shares. And to give us a better grasp of the reality of the mission, National Geographic brings to our screens “MARS,” a six-part series about colonizing the Red Planet.
“MARS” goes a step further beyond National Geographic's documentaries. It combines film-quality scripted drama and visual effects with a powerful documentary interviewing some of the best and brightest minds in modern science and innovation. The story revolves around a crew of 6 fictitious astronauts in the year 2033 as they travel to Mars aboard the spacecraft Daedalus.
To establish the story further, "BEFORE MARS" a prequel to "Mars" is also made. It builds the character and beginnings of Hana and Joon Seung, central characters of "Mars."
I believe MARS is not only about the people going to Mars and the staff working with them. It’s about the whole mankind’s quest to know more about our universe and the possibility of supporting life beyond Earth. MARS is a thought provoking, rich and educational TV series the whole family can bond over.
The six-episode run is already over, but the series will still be available for free streaming for another 2 months. Watch it here. You can catch the stream via the National Geographic VOD Channel, Android, iOS, Xbox and Roku among others. Mars can also be purchased at Amazon, Hulu, GooglePlay and iTunes.
Older kids can also head on over to National Geographics Mar’s education page. They have all sorts of cool stuff there. The kids can “apply” for a slot to Mars. I was given the role as a Field Scientist. Hehe not bad;-) They also have a virtual reality simulation of landing a rocket on Mars, piloting a rover on Mars and more.
Sharing with you the list of questions, I, with the help of NatGeo (National Geographic) crafted for some thoughtful, amusing conversation:
For fun, I asked my 13 year old daughter a few questions about Mars. It was supposed to be a vlog but my daughter is a bit camera shy and opted to be interviewed instead. Here is a transcript of my interview with her. And at the bottom is a short clip from my interview with my 5 year old.
What do think it’s like to be in space? Is space somewhere you’d like to go?
It’s going to be like floating in water since there is no gravity. Space is somewhere I would really want to go because I want to explore the wonders beyond the world.
Do you dream of becoming an astronaut and go on trips to Mars?
I don’t really dream of becoming an astronaut because I might make a mistake and that would cause my death.
What do you think you would see if you went to Mars?
I think I would see red dust everywhere and hopefully Martians.
If you were sent on a mission to Mars, what would you bring in your mission?
I would bring a journal to record all my findings and things I learned about Mars. I would also bring my stuff toys because they make feel safe and at home.
If there was a school in Mars, what do you think it will look like?
In my mind I picture school in Mars to be a giant spaceship. When you go to school you have to wear a suit but inside it’s just like back home.
Do you think aliens exist?
Since Mars has almost the same elements to support living beings there will likely be other forms of life. Hopefully they are friendly:-)
Do you want to have alien classmates?
Preferably I wouldn’t want to be classmates with aliens since I picture them as scary and abnormal looking creatures. But I feel like it would be a fun experience to be friends with one.
How do you think they would look like?
I picture them to be almost like humans except they would have extra body parts to help them sustain their life on Mars.
Why do you think this mission to Mars is important?
It’s important because if the world is at the brink of destruction we have an alternative planet to go to. End of interview:-)
Try a light and interesting chat with your kids about Mars. It might not convince you that you have the next Neil Armstrong but it makes for a good bonding activity. And don't forget to catch National Geographic's series, "Mars" it's a family series that will not only spark good, thoughtful and amusing conversation but will also build our children's oneness with the whole humanity.
