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Narrator:
Mars, our cosmic neighbor.
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More spacecraft have been sent
to mars than any other planet.
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One day, humans will visit,
as well.
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Humans should go to mars,
and we should do it quickly.
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Narrator: This rocky planet
could almost be home.
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Mars is very different
than earth,
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But in many ways,
it's like a long-lost brother.
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Narrator:
Yet, mars is an alien world.
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Looking at mars gives us
some disturbing lessons
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About the future
of our own planet.
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Narrator:
What lies ahead for the first
human astronauts
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To set foot on mars?
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To find out, we will strip
the red planet...
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We'll peel open
its dusty surface...
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And dive deep into its alien
underworld,
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Revealing the secrets
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That await the first
human explorers on mars.
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-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com
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Captions paid for by
discovery communications
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Mars -- it sits 142 million
miles from the sun.
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The average temperature
is minus 80 degrees fahrenheit.
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Today, scientists are racing
to reach the red planet.
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In addition to the mars
missions currently in progress,
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Upcoming operations are intended
to study mars' atmosphere,
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Geology, and weather systems
in more detail than ever before.
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The ultimate goal --
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To land the first
human astronauts on mars.
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Oluseyi: Eventually, humans have
to leave planet earth.
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Mars is our first step
outward.
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I think that's going to be
the key to our own survival
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Is going there
and living on this planet,
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And we'll be able to explore
the rest
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Of the solar system from there.
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Sending humans to mars is
really the next great challenge.
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We will get there --
it's just a matter of when.
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Narrator: Mars may be one
of our closest planets,
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But it is also home to some
of the greatest
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Unsolved mysteries
in the solar system.
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Hidden inside...
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A frozen world may hold the key
to martian life.
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♪
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Vast canyons that would
stretch from new york to l.A.
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Scar the surface.
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Violent dust storms
engulf the planet,
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While some of the tallest
volcanoes in the solar system
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Rise up from its plains.
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These supervolcanoes
hide an alien underworld.
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Mars is a tantalizing
destination
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For human exploration.
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When we first got to mars,
it just looked like
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A cold, dry, dead planet,
but the more we study it,
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The more we learn that
it's actually dynamic, alive.
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Narrator: Before nasa launches
a manned mission,
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They must confirm that mars
is habitable for humans.
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So they've sent
a scouting party --
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The mars curiosity rover.
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Curiosity
touched down in August 2012.
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It has roamed the martian
surface ever since.
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This 1-ton robot is
the size of an suv.
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It uses its
high-resolution cameras
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And scientific instruments
to uncover the secrets of mars.
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Here on earth at nasa's
jet propulsion laboratory,
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Chris roumeliotis is
one of curiosity's drivers.
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Chris can't make mistakes
with $2.5 billion worth of gear.
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So he practices his skills
on jpl's own little piece
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Of the red planet,
the mars yard.
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We have all the rover drivers
come up here,
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And we test things to the limit
so we see what happens.
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Every maneuver
that has been done on mars
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Has essentially been tested
in this mars yard.
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Narrator:
Chris uses a full-sized
working model of curiosity
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To perfect his maneuvers.
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If you ever try to drive
your car over this --
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Not gonna happen.
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She can do it -- no problem.
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We actively try to avoid rocks
like this, if we can.
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But look how gracefully
she goes over that rock --
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Doesn't even drop.
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Narrator:
Chris and his team have
successfully driven curiosity
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Over 12 miles and counting
across the martian surface,
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Thanks to practice here
in the mars yard.
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For humans to survive on mars,
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The first thing curiosity
must find is water.
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Mars looks like
a dry desert now...
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But features
in the landscape suggest
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That mars was once
covered in liquid water.
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Three layers of rocks lie
beneath a top coating
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Of red dust.
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The bottom rock layer
is the oldest.
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It's an ancient lake bed that
contains compressed clays
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And minerals
once carried by water.
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Next is a salty layer
one mile deep.
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When the water evaporated,
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It left this salty residue
behind, like a pan boiling dry.
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On top lies a cold,
dusty surface,
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Worn down and smoothed over
by billions of years of wind.
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Scientist ashwin vasavada leads
the search for water on mars.
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We've been chasing evidence
of liquid water on mars
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For decades.
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Narrator: Curiosity's
discoveries are astonishing.
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One of the first things we found
with curiosity
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Was rounded pebbles, about
this size, rounded corners.
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You don't see that naturally
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Without something
grinding the rocks together,
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And the action of the liquid
water flowing in a stream,
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Grinding those rocks created
this ancient stream bed.
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Narrator:
This dry stream bed proves
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That there was once
liquid water on mars.
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Vasavada:
We're really talking about water
flowing maybe ankle-to-hip-deep.
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You know, this is the first time
we're really encountering,
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You know,
and holding in our hand,
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So to speak, this evidence
of a habitable environment.
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Narrator: But could mars
support humans today?
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To find out, ashwin needs
to uncover
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What happened to all the water.
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One of the big mysteries
about mars
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Is that early in its history
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Is where we find all this
evidence for flowing water,
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Lakes, maybe even an ocean.
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What happened on mars to create
this dry environment
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That we see today?
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Narrator:
Scientists now believe that,
4 billion years ago,
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Oceans, lakes, and rivers
covered the surface of mars.
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Deep inside, mars had a hot core
of flowing metal,
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Just like earth.
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Mars' molten core created
a magnetic field
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Around the wet planet.
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This shielded its atmosphere
from the sun's radiation,
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But, eventually,
the core cooled
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And stopped powering
the magnetic field.
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Without protection, mars' water
evaporated into space...
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And mars the water world
became mars the desert.
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On the martian surface,
curiosity looks for proof of how
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And when this happened.
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The rocks may hold the secret
to figuring out
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How mars evolved
from that life-sustaining state
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In its early history
to where it is today.
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Curiosity is a rover, but it's
also a geochemical laboratory.
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It's so big because we took
these advanced
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Chemical instruments
to mars inside the rover,
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And we feed those instruments
with samples of rock and soil.
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Narrator:
The rover now sits at the base
of a 3-mile-high mountain,
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Mount sharp.
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Its layers of rocks were laid
down over billions of years.
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They provide a record
of the conditions on mars
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At different points in its past.
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We really hope that
whole geologic record
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Of mars' environmental history
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Is preserved for us and that,
just by driving through it,
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We'll be driving
through 3 billion,
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4 billion years of mars history.
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-How's it going, ashwin?
-Hey. Good to see you.
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Hey.
Yeah.
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So...
Where we driving?
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Yeah, we had some...
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Narrator:
Chris and ashwin use a 3-d
landscape viewer
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To plan curiosity's routes
toward mount sharp.
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Here, we're doing an arc
to the left to avoid a rock.
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They see what the rover sees
on mars -- accurate to an inch.
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Pretty gnarly terrain.
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A lot of rocks.
Yeah.
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But she needs to go
very slow today.
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Yeah, right.
Because of...
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The hazards, huh?
The hazards, yeah.
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Got it.
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There's a 20-minute
communication delay
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Between earth and mars, so chris
can't drive curiosity live.
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Instead, he sends a whole day
of instructions
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To the rover at once.
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Roumeliotis:
Everything that's done,
in terms of operations,
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Has to go through this room.
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It is the center of the universe
for us and our spacecraft.
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Narrator:
At jpl's mission control,
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00:10:05,739 --> 00:10:08,106
Chris hands over
the list of commands.
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How's it going?
I think we're ready.
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At the click of a button,
tomorrow's maneuvers
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Head to mars,
guiding curiosity
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On the next leg
of her groundbreaking journey.
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Nasa's missions prove that,
at some point,
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Mars was stripped
of its water and atmosphere.
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00:10:29,796 --> 00:10:35,100
But was all of mars' water
lost to space?
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Will future astronauts
find any water
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00:10:37,537 --> 00:10:41,439
Left hidden
beneath mars' desert surface?
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And could they encounter
martians already living there?
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♪
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Narrator: Within a generation,
a human will set foot on mars.
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The first visitors
will experience
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A cold, barren terrain.
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Curiosity confirmed there
was once water on mars.
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00:11:14,775 --> 00:11:18,910
Could human explorers
still find water there today?
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Mars is so cold
that its atmosphere freezes.
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00:11:25,252 --> 00:11:29,087
Carbon dioxide snow covers
the northern plains.
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00:11:31,925 --> 00:11:37,662
3 feet below this snowy crust
lies an earth-like secret --
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00:11:37,664 --> 00:11:43,268
A massive reservoir of frozen
water over a mile deep.
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These are mars' ice caps.
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00:11:46,807 --> 00:11:49,841
If these ice caps melted,
they would cover the planet
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00:11:49,843 --> 00:11:52,777
With over 60 feet of water.
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00:11:52,779 --> 00:11:57,115
They contain 100 times
the water in the great lakes.
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00:11:57,117 --> 00:11:59,417
With this much water
on the planet,
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00:11:59,419 --> 00:12:02,821
Could there also be life?
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00:12:02,823 --> 00:12:06,157
Gates: Water is a precursor
for life itself.
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00:12:06,159 --> 00:12:09,427
If there's water,
there's a possibility of life.
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00:12:09,429 --> 00:12:13,331
So maybe the martians
are not science fiction.
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00:12:13,333 --> 00:12:16,634
Narrator:
But mars is so cold that water
on its surface
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00:12:16,636 --> 00:12:19,904
Only exists as ice.
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00:12:19,906 --> 00:12:22,674
For future human explorers
to find life,
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00:12:22,676 --> 00:12:26,144
They must look for liquid water
that isn't frozen.
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00:12:28,215 --> 00:12:30,048
Batalha:
Life on earth is very diverse.
209
00:12:30,050 --> 00:12:32,050
Not all life-forms
require oxygen.
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00:12:32,052 --> 00:12:34,819
Not all life-forms
even require sunlight.
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00:12:34,821 --> 00:12:37,455
But it seems that every single
life-form on earth,
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00:12:37,457 --> 00:12:40,592
No matter how diverse,
requires liquid water.
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00:12:40,594 --> 00:12:44,028
Narrator:
Our best chance of finding
liquid water on mars
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00:12:44,030 --> 00:12:46,564
May lie beneath the surface.
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00:12:46,566 --> 00:12:49,267
Scientists believe
that not all mars' water
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00:12:49,269 --> 00:12:51,870
Escaped into space --
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00:12:51,872 --> 00:12:54,873
Some became trapped
beneath the landscape.
218
00:13:02,315 --> 00:13:05,350
Just below the martian surface,
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00:13:05,352 --> 00:13:07,786
The freezing ground
locks the water ice
220
00:13:07,788 --> 00:13:11,990
In a layer
called the cryosphere.
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00:13:11,992 --> 00:13:15,193
The cryosphere stretches
6 miles down
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00:13:15,195 --> 00:13:17,829
And could hold up to
50 times more water
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00:13:17,831 --> 00:13:20,398
Than the ice caps themselves.
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00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,535
Below this layer,
the ice disappears,
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00:13:23,537 --> 00:13:26,805
But the rock holds patches
of a chemical substance
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00:13:26,807 --> 00:13:30,575
That could sustain life --
salt.
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00:13:30,577 --> 00:13:35,446
Salt in the rock acts like
antifreeze and melts the ice.
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00:13:35,448 --> 00:13:38,416
It creates deposits of salty
liquid water
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00:13:38,418 --> 00:13:42,053
That could stretch up
to 16 miles into the ground.
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00:13:44,024 --> 00:13:47,659
Could martian life survive
in these extreme conditions?
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00:13:49,963 --> 00:13:51,963
In boulby, northern England,
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00:13:51,965 --> 00:13:57,535
Astrobiologist sam payler
searches for the answers.
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00:13:57,537 --> 00:14:01,539
He explorers one of the most
hostile environments on earth --
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00:14:01,541 --> 00:14:06,344
Mines 3,500 feet
below the surface.
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00:14:06,346 --> 00:14:08,580
Payler: We always thought life
was this kind of thin film
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00:14:08,582 --> 00:14:09,981
That surrounded the earth,
237
00:14:09,983 --> 00:14:11,649
But, actually,
we found over the years
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00:14:11,651 --> 00:14:13,017
That life extends much further
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00:14:13,019 --> 00:14:14,485
Than we thought
into the deep subsurface,
240
00:14:14,487 --> 00:14:19,190
Into the rocks and into
the actual fabric of the earth.
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00:14:19,192 --> 00:14:21,993
Narrator: The conditions
in this working salt mine
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00:14:21,995 --> 00:14:26,664
Mirror the extreme environment
beneath the surface of mars.
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00:14:26,666 --> 00:14:29,567
Mars is covered in salt,
and we believe those salts
244
00:14:29,569 --> 00:14:32,237
Extend down
into the deep subsurface.
245
00:14:32,239 --> 00:14:34,072
In order to understand
whether anything can live
246
00:14:34,074 --> 00:14:35,573
In those deep salts on mars,
247
00:14:35,575 --> 00:14:39,611
We need to come to a salty,
deep environment here on earth.
248
00:14:39,613 --> 00:14:43,514
Narrator:
Sam collects a sample of salty
water deep in the mine
249
00:14:43,516 --> 00:14:47,652
To determine whether any
microbial life survives here.
250
00:14:47,654 --> 00:14:49,287
Payler: This water has come
out of the rock
251
00:14:49,289 --> 00:14:51,055
From the local geology around,
252
00:14:51,057 --> 00:14:53,992
And we're basically going to
sample it in as sterile a way
253
00:14:53,994 --> 00:14:57,095
As possible with sterile tubes
and sterile equipment --
254
00:14:57,097 --> 00:14:59,931
So we don't infect it with any
of our nasty human bacteria --
255
00:14:59,933 --> 00:15:02,000
And see what's living in there.
256
00:15:05,205 --> 00:15:07,438
Narrator: He analyzes the sample
in the world's
257
00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,309
First permanent
underground astrobiology lab
258
00:15:11,311 --> 00:15:14,679
That sits 2/3 of a mile down.
259
00:15:14,681 --> 00:15:16,180
Payler: We've actually found
lots of different types
260
00:15:16,182 --> 00:15:17,282
Of organisms in here.
261
00:15:17,284 --> 00:15:18,850
They're all salt-loving.
262
00:15:18,852 --> 00:15:20,351
They all require salt.
263
00:15:20,353 --> 00:15:22,487
And we've actually been able
to get some images of them.
264
00:15:22,489 --> 00:15:25,323
You can actually see the cells
in the microscope slide.
265
00:15:25,325 --> 00:15:26,324
We're seeing something here
that's lived
266
00:15:26,326 --> 00:15:28,126
1.1 kilometers
below the surface.
267
00:15:28,128 --> 00:15:32,330
It's grown, lived, and evolved
down here for many, many years.
268
00:15:32,332 --> 00:15:36,134
Narrator:
Sam's work suggests that
martian life could be similar
269
00:15:36,136 --> 00:15:39,804
To these microbes,
if it exists at all.
270
00:15:39,806 --> 00:15:41,706
Payler: The really key
to exploring mars
271
00:15:41,708 --> 00:15:43,875
Now is to get down
into the subsurface.
272
00:15:43,877 --> 00:15:46,144
That's where our highest chance
of finding any life
273
00:15:46,146 --> 00:15:47,779
Would certainly be.
274
00:15:47,781 --> 00:15:49,747
We see life in so many
environments on earth
275
00:15:49,749 --> 00:15:51,849
That it's almost unimaginable
276
00:15:51,851 --> 00:15:54,919
That it isn't living
somewhere out in the universe.
277
00:15:57,123 --> 00:15:59,924
Narrator:
Water trapped deep inside
the red planet
278
00:15:59,926 --> 00:16:03,761
May hold the key
to martian life,
279
00:16:03,763 --> 00:16:07,465
And mars is not the only place
in the solar system
280
00:16:07,467 --> 00:16:09,334
With hidden water reserves.
281
00:16:09,336 --> 00:16:12,036
You might think that water's
very rare in the cosmos,
282
00:16:12,038 --> 00:16:15,006
But, actually, we're starting
to find it everywhere we look.
283
00:16:15,008 --> 00:16:16,741
Water is on other planets.
284
00:16:16,743 --> 00:16:17,875
It's on other moons.
285
00:16:17,877 --> 00:16:20,378
There are even asteroids
with lots of water.
286
00:16:22,816 --> 00:16:28,653
Narrator: This is enceladus,
a moon that orbits saturn.
287
00:16:28,655 --> 00:16:32,790
Enceladus is one of the wettest
places in the solar system.
288
00:16:32,792 --> 00:16:35,927
It's only a seventh the size
of our own moon,
289
00:16:35,929 --> 00:16:38,029
Yet it holds a secret.
290
00:16:40,133 --> 00:16:42,533
Fountains of water
and ice explode
291
00:16:42,535 --> 00:16:44,268
Through its frozen surface
292
00:16:44,270 --> 00:16:49,307
And shoot more than
120 miles into the sky.
293
00:16:49,309 --> 00:16:52,410
These plumes erupt
from a 6-mile ocean
294
00:16:52,412 --> 00:16:54,012
Hidden deep below.
295
00:16:56,149 --> 00:16:59,384
But sitting almost
a billion miles from earth,
296
00:16:59,386 --> 00:17:04,122
Humans won't be visiting this
exotic water world anytime soon.
297
00:17:07,060 --> 00:17:11,396
For now, our best hope of coming
face-to-face with water and life
298
00:17:11,398 --> 00:17:17,068
Outside our own planet
is on mars.
299
00:17:17,070 --> 00:17:19,670
Yet, global dust storms blanket
the planet,
300
00:17:19,672 --> 00:17:23,908
While carbon dioxide explosions
erupt from the surface.
301
00:17:23,910 --> 00:17:28,046
Many dangers await
the first astronauts.
302
00:17:38,124 --> 00:17:41,492
♪
303
00:17:41,494 --> 00:17:44,829
Narrator:
Mars has 24 1/2-hour days
304
00:17:44,831 --> 00:17:47,865
And light clouds
that drift in the sky.
305
00:17:47,867 --> 00:17:49,967
It could almost be home.
306
00:17:49,969 --> 00:17:54,539
The red planet even has
four seasons like our own.
307
00:17:54,541 --> 00:17:57,942
But its weather
is nothing like earth's.
308
00:17:57,944 --> 00:17:59,444
On earth, our seasons are caused
309
00:17:59,446 --> 00:18:01,379
By the tilt in our axis,
and in fact,
310
00:18:01,381 --> 00:18:04,949
Mars has a similar tilt
to its axis, so it has spring,
311
00:18:04,951 --> 00:18:07,318
Summer, winter, fall,
just like here.
312
00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,655
And at springtime,
the winds begin to blow on mars.
313
00:18:10,657 --> 00:18:12,790
There are little dust devils
and tornadoes.
314
00:18:12,792 --> 00:18:14,625
There are global sandstorms.
315
00:18:14,627 --> 00:18:16,694
Mars comes to life
in the spring.
316
00:18:19,466 --> 00:18:22,500
Narrator:
Frozen carbon dioxide
cakes the red planet's
317
00:18:22,502 --> 00:18:25,703
Northern plains during winter,
318
00:18:25,705 --> 00:18:29,140
But in spring,
it wakes from its slumber.
319
00:18:31,845 --> 00:18:36,447
Temperatures rocket and bring
the martian landscape to life.
320
00:18:41,421 --> 00:18:44,856
Beneath the frozen surface,
321
00:18:44,858 --> 00:18:49,427
Carbon dioxide warms up
and turns into gas.
322
00:18:49,429 --> 00:18:53,631
The gas pressure builds,
cracking the ice above.
323
00:18:53,633 --> 00:19:00,271
When the pressure gets too high,
violent plumes of sand and dust
324
00:19:00,273 --> 00:19:04,442
Burst six stories into the sky.
325
00:19:04,444 --> 00:19:08,779
The ice melts to reveal
a vast expanse of sand dunes
326
00:19:08,781 --> 00:19:14,385
The size of texas --
the north polar sand sea.
327
00:19:18,324 --> 00:19:20,525
To protect humans on mars,
328
00:19:20,527 --> 00:19:24,562
We need to prepare them
for sudden weather extremes.
329
00:19:24,564 --> 00:19:27,465
Fenton:
Mars has weather, so that's
absolutely something
330
00:19:27,467 --> 00:19:29,000
That we need to know more about
331
00:19:29,002 --> 00:19:32,470
Before we can send people there
and expect them to survive.
332
00:19:32,472 --> 00:19:35,439
Narrator: Scientist lori fenton
uses sand dunes
333
00:19:35,441 --> 00:19:39,377
To create a martian
weather forecast.
334
00:19:39,379 --> 00:19:40,878
She studies the landscape
335
00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,582
At the white sands
national park in new mexico.
336
00:19:44,584 --> 00:19:46,384
Fenton:
There's dunes all over mars,
337
00:19:46,386 --> 00:19:47,752
And we can use them
to understand
338
00:19:47,754 --> 00:19:49,987
What the wind is doing
and what it has been doing.
339
00:19:49,989 --> 00:19:53,925
In a sense, this whole dune
field is a microcosm for mars.
340
00:19:53,927 --> 00:19:56,427
Narrator: To predict the weather
of the future on mars,
341
00:19:56,429 --> 00:20:01,132
Lori must first understand
the weather of the past.
342
00:20:01,134 --> 00:20:03,034
Fenton:
Every time the wind moves
the sand,
343
00:20:03,036 --> 00:20:04,635
It gets locked up
in these dunes.
344
00:20:04,637 --> 00:20:05,836
And as the dune migrates on,
345
00:20:05,838 --> 00:20:07,672
It sort of traps
its own history,
346
00:20:07,674 --> 00:20:11,542
And that's the secret --
under our feet right here.
347
00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:14,912
Narrator:
Aerial photographs suggest
that the sand dunes on mars
348
00:20:14,914 --> 00:20:17,915
Behave in the same way.
349
00:20:17,917 --> 00:20:21,252
Fenton:
Mars is the most photographed
planet other than earth.
350
00:20:21,254 --> 00:20:24,822
Here's an image of a sand dune
on mars.
351
00:20:24,824 --> 00:20:25,990
This is the same kind of dune
352
00:20:25,992 --> 00:20:28,125
That we're looking at here
at white sands.
353
00:20:30,997 --> 00:20:34,799
Narrator:
The north polar sand sea...
354
00:20:34,801 --> 00:20:39,904
Is one of the largest fields of
sand dunes in the solar system.
355
00:20:39,906 --> 00:20:43,274
The dunes are time capsules
of martian weather.
356
00:20:45,345 --> 00:20:48,279
Each layer is just a
few inches thick,
357
00:20:48,281 --> 00:20:49,680
And, like a photograph,
358
00:20:49,682 --> 00:20:54,318
Captures a snapshot
of the season's activities.
359
00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,522
A seam of fine particles
indicates global dust storms.
360
00:21:00,827 --> 00:21:04,795
Next, a thick, coarse layer
reveals an avalanche of sand
361
00:21:04,797 --> 00:21:07,265
From severe springtime winds...
362
00:21:09,502 --> 00:21:12,270
While a dark strip
of ash suggests
363
00:21:12,272 --> 00:21:17,742
Violent volcanic eruptions
engulfed the landscape.
364
00:21:17,744 --> 00:21:22,446
The first human astronauts
must unlock these clues
365
00:21:22,448 --> 00:21:24,882
To predict future
martian weather.
366
00:21:27,086 --> 00:21:29,720
Digging a trench like this
on the red planet
367
00:21:29,722 --> 00:21:32,089
Will give them
vital information.
368
00:21:32,091 --> 00:21:34,959
We could use these layers
to forecast weather on mars
369
00:21:34,961 --> 00:21:36,961
By measuring
how thick they are --
370
00:21:36,963 --> 00:21:39,430
That tells us
how much sand has moved,
371
00:21:39,432 --> 00:21:41,832
And that gives us an idea
of how strong the wind was,
372
00:21:41,834 --> 00:21:44,101
How long a wind event lasted,
373
00:21:44,103 --> 00:21:46,837
And then we can start
to really understand
374
00:21:46,839 --> 00:21:50,007
Weather patterns in many,
many places on mars.
375
00:21:52,712 --> 00:21:55,446
Narrator: Sand dunes are not
the only phenomenon
376
00:21:55,448 --> 00:21:59,617
Created by the martian winds.
377
00:21:59,619 --> 00:22:03,054
During mars' summer,
strong winds also whip up
378
00:22:03,056 --> 00:22:08,326
One of the most common sights
on the planet -- dust devils.
379
00:22:08,328 --> 00:22:13,764
These giant tornadoes on average
soar 5 miles high.
380
00:22:13,766 --> 00:22:18,235
They race across mars' surface,
creating wormlike tracks.
381
00:22:20,707 --> 00:22:24,975
Mars' unique geology causes
these epic dust storms.
382
00:22:28,715 --> 00:22:32,616
This circular zone
is hellas basin in mars'
383
00:22:32,618 --> 00:22:35,219
Southern hemisphere.
384
00:22:35,221 --> 00:22:39,457
It's the largest bowl of dust
in the solar system.
385
00:22:39,459 --> 00:22:44,762
The basin is an impact crater
nearly 5 miles deep.
386
00:22:44,764 --> 00:22:49,133
A thick layer of red dust
cakes the surface.
387
00:22:49,135 --> 00:22:55,039
The summer sun heats the fine
dust and lifts it into the sky.
388
00:22:55,041 --> 00:22:58,376
These giant dust clouds block
out the sun
389
00:22:58,378 --> 00:23:01,712
And plunge temperatures
far below zero.
390
00:23:04,016 --> 00:23:08,285
In a martian dust storm,
there's nowhere to run.
391
00:23:08,287 --> 00:23:11,555
When you consider the sizes
of the dust storms on mars,
392
00:23:11,557 --> 00:23:14,191
It's on a scale like nothing
we've seen here on earth.
393
00:23:14,193 --> 00:23:16,527
They are planetwide.
394
00:23:16,529 --> 00:23:17,695
Plait: We've seen this happen,
395
00:23:17,697 --> 00:23:19,230
Where mars
just kind of goes away --
396
00:23:19,232 --> 00:23:21,098
It just becomes
this big, fuzzy ball
397
00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:25,369
Because it's enveloped
in a global dust storm.
398
00:23:25,371 --> 00:23:27,671
Narrator:
Even if the first explorers
on mars
399
00:23:27,673 --> 00:23:30,107
Survive these lethal storms,
400
00:23:30,109 --> 00:23:34,545
They still face
another deadly threat --
401
00:23:34,547 --> 00:23:37,314
Giant tremors called
"marsquakes"
402
00:23:37,316 --> 00:23:40,317
That rock the planet
to its core.
403
00:23:50,530 --> 00:23:55,032
♪
404
00:23:55,034 --> 00:23:57,568
Narrator: The first astronauts
to visit mars
405
00:23:57,570 --> 00:24:01,906
Face bone-chilling temperatures
and global dust storms,
406
00:24:01,908 --> 00:24:03,507
But their biggest challenge
407
00:24:03,509 --> 00:24:06,310
May not lie
on the martian surface --
408
00:24:06,312 --> 00:24:08,879
The threat could
come from below --
409
00:24:08,881 --> 00:24:12,650
Planetary tremors
called "marsquakes."
410
00:24:12,652 --> 00:24:14,418
We're now picking up more
and more evidence
411
00:24:14,420 --> 00:24:17,254
That there are
substantial tremors on mars --
412
00:24:17,256 --> 00:24:18,789
In fact,
the equivalent of something
413
00:24:18,791 --> 00:24:21,125
Like a magnitude 7 earthquake
here on earth.
414
00:24:21,127 --> 00:24:22,359
That's substantial.
415
00:24:22,361 --> 00:24:25,729
These are not just
little quakes, but large events.
416
00:24:33,339 --> 00:24:35,473
Narrator:
These quakes suggest a secret
417
00:24:35,475 --> 00:24:39,243
Lies below the surface
of the red planet.
418
00:24:39,245 --> 00:24:43,514
They are evidence that mars
still has a molten core
419
00:24:43,516 --> 00:24:49,186
That is hotter and more fluid
than once thought.
420
00:24:49,188 --> 00:24:54,391
This hot interior could be what
triggers the quakes on mars.
421
00:25:00,433 --> 00:25:03,834
We have a lot of evidence that,
about 3 1/2 billion years ago,
422
00:25:03,836 --> 00:25:05,669
Mars effectively died.
423
00:25:05,671 --> 00:25:08,572
The plate tectonics stopped,
everything cooled off,
424
00:25:08,574 --> 00:25:11,809
And mars got very solid
and dead in its core.
425
00:25:11,811 --> 00:25:14,144
But now we're beginning
to reevaluate that.
426
00:25:14,146 --> 00:25:15,446
Maybe we're wrong.
427
00:25:15,448 --> 00:25:20,017
Maybe there is still some life
left inside mars.
428
00:25:20,019 --> 00:25:23,287
Narrator: To find the answer,
scientists plan to give mars
429
00:25:23,289 --> 00:25:28,192
Its first physical
in 4 billion years.
430
00:25:28,194 --> 00:25:31,195
Bruce banerdt leads
the martian medical team
431
00:25:31,197 --> 00:25:34,265
At nasa's jet
propulsion laboratory.
432
00:25:34,267 --> 00:25:36,767
Banerdt:
We're going to learn about
the very deep interior of mars.
433
00:25:36,769 --> 00:25:38,802
And in order to do that,
we're going to sort of
434
00:25:38,804 --> 00:25:41,305
Take its pulse to figure out
what's going on inside,
435
00:25:41,307 --> 00:25:44,141
Much as the doctor
would do in his office.
436
00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:48,045
Narrator: This 800-pound robot
is called "insight."
437
00:25:48,047 --> 00:25:50,648
After insight landed
in late 2018,
438
00:25:50,650 --> 00:25:54,618
It used a seismometer to
accurately measure mars' quakes
439
00:25:54,620 --> 00:25:57,454
And discover
where they are coming from.
440
00:25:57,456 --> 00:25:58,589
We have the seismometer,
441
00:25:58,591 --> 00:26:01,025
Which is this
orange object here.
442
00:26:01,027 --> 00:26:03,661
We're gonna pick that up
with this arm and grapple
443
00:26:03,663 --> 00:26:06,530
And place it on the surface.
444
00:26:06,532 --> 00:26:10,601
Narrator:
This is a prototype of the
lander that is exploring mars.
445
00:26:12,838 --> 00:26:15,539
Bruce's team programs
the robotic arm
446
00:26:15,541 --> 00:26:17,041
To place the seismometer
447
00:26:17,043 --> 00:26:20,811
In exactly the right spot
without any damage.
448
00:26:20,813 --> 00:26:23,647
The delicate maneuver went off
without a hitch
449
00:26:23,649 --> 00:26:26,850
And successfully recorded
the first marsquake
450
00:26:26,852 --> 00:26:30,554
On April 6, 2019.
451
00:26:30,556 --> 00:26:33,123
The team hopes that insight
will reveal
452
00:26:33,125 --> 00:26:36,427
Exactly what causes
the quakes on mars.
453
00:26:39,165 --> 00:26:40,531
Here on earth,
454
00:26:40,533 --> 00:26:45,402
The planet's crust
is split into tectonic plates.
455
00:26:45,404 --> 00:26:47,805
As these plates move
against each other,
456
00:26:47,807 --> 00:26:49,740
They cause earthquakes.
457
00:26:51,911 --> 00:26:55,379
Bruce thinks a very different
geological process
458
00:26:55,381 --> 00:26:57,848
Triggers marsquakes.
459
00:26:57,850 --> 00:27:00,050
Banerdt:
On the earth, we have lots of
plates moving around
460
00:27:00,052 --> 00:27:03,087
All the time
in a very dynamic fashion.
461
00:27:03,089 --> 00:27:06,090
Mars has one plate --
it's just the whole crust
462
00:27:06,092 --> 00:27:07,491
Is a single plate --
463
00:27:07,493 --> 00:27:09,460
And so there's nothing
that actually moves around there
464
00:27:09,462 --> 00:27:12,763
Because there's no cracks that
allow that motion to take place.
465
00:27:16,869 --> 00:27:22,172
Narrator:
A single slab of rock forms
the crust of mars.
466
00:27:22,174 --> 00:27:25,542
It extends 30 miles down
into the planet,
467
00:27:25,544 --> 00:27:29,079
5 miles deeper
than the earth's crust.
468
00:27:29,081 --> 00:27:32,282
The thick mantle layer
below holds it in place.
469
00:27:35,388 --> 00:27:41,225
As mars' hot core cools,
it contracts.
470
00:27:41,227 --> 00:27:46,664
This draws the mantle inwards
and pulls on the crust.
471
00:27:46,666 --> 00:27:48,265
Tension builds.
472
00:27:48,267 --> 00:27:50,968
[ rumbling ]
473
00:27:50,970 --> 00:27:53,137
The crust buckles...
474
00:27:53,139 --> 00:27:55,706
And triggers a marsquake.
475
00:27:55,708 --> 00:27:59,076
[ rumbling intensifies ]
476
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,049
If all goes to plan,
bruce's seismometer
477
00:28:05,051 --> 00:28:07,718
Will pinpoint
the origin of the marsquakes
478
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:09,987
And help to confirm this theory.
479
00:28:09,989 --> 00:28:11,221
Banerdt: I'm extremely nervous.
480
00:28:11,223 --> 00:28:12,756
I mean, any kind
of a space mission
481
00:28:12,758 --> 00:28:15,492
Is an enormously
complicated endeavor,
482
00:28:15,494 --> 00:28:17,961
And there's millions
and millions of things
483
00:28:17,963 --> 00:28:20,698
That have to go right in order
to even get to mars,
484
00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:23,233
Much less, you know,
actually do the measurements.
485
00:28:26,105 --> 00:28:29,306
Narrator:
Mars' unique crust also
holds clues
486
00:28:29,308 --> 00:28:33,544
To other mysteries
of the solar system.
487
00:28:33,546 --> 00:28:35,546
Thaller:
Because of plate tectonics
on the earth,
488
00:28:35,548 --> 00:28:38,182
Everything is in this
grinding state of change,
489
00:28:38,184 --> 00:28:41,652
Always moving around,
melting down, building up.
490
00:28:41,654 --> 00:28:46,056
On mars, however, things froze
in time billions of years ago.
491
00:28:46,058 --> 00:28:49,093
So you have an intact crust,
an intact record
492
00:28:49,095 --> 00:28:52,062
Of what the solar system
was like a long time ago.
493
00:28:54,100 --> 00:28:57,267
Narrator:
This unblemished record
helps us understand
494
00:28:57,269 --> 00:29:00,704
One of the most puzzling
features of the red planet --
495
00:29:00,706 --> 00:29:03,307
The two faces of mars.
496
00:29:05,678 --> 00:29:08,746
One half of mars is carved
with mountains, valleys,
497
00:29:08,748 --> 00:29:10,948
And highlands.
498
00:29:10,950 --> 00:29:15,419
Craters from ancient impacts
pockmark the landscape.
499
00:29:15,421 --> 00:29:18,489
Traveling over the planet,
500
00:29:18,491 --> 00:29:22,826
The craters and mountains
start to disappear.
501
00:29:22,828 --> 00:29:26,997
Scientists believe that
3.9 billion years ago,
502
00:29:26,999 --> 00:29:32,269
An asteroid half the size
of our moon slammed into mars.
503
00:29:32,271 --> 00:29:34,705
It destroyed all
the surface features
504
00:29:34,707 --> 00:29:38,509
And left behind
a sea of molten rock.
505
00:29:38,511 --> 00:29:40,577
The rock hardened to form
this massive,
506
00:29:40,579 --> 00:29:43,380
Flat plain, completely different
507
00:29:43,382 --> 00:29:47,618
From the jagged peaks
on the other side.
508
00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:52,022
These are the two faces of mars.
509
00:29:52,024 --> 00:29:55,459
Craters and mountains are not
the only geological features
510
00:29:55,461 --> 00:29:58,796
Preserved on
the surface of mars.
511
00:29:58,798 --> 00:30:01,732
The deserts on the red planet
are also home
512
00:30:01,734 --> 00:30:05,269
To the four biggest volcanoes
in the solar system,
513
00:30:05,271 --> 00:30:08,639
Where giant lava chambers
could hold the secret
514
00:30:08,641 --> 00:30:11,742
To human survival on mars.
515
00:30:21,153 --> 00:30:24,822
♪
516
00:30:24,824 --> 00:30:27,891
Narrator:
Mars may be a small planet,
517
00:30:27,893 --> 00:30:32,863
But it has colossal
geological features.
518
00:30:32,865 --> 00:30:35,399
This is tharsis,
519
00:30:35,401 --> 00:30:40,337
A volcanic region covering 1/5
of the planet's surface.
520
00:30:40,339 --> 00:30:43,340
This range boasts
the four highest peaks
521
00:30:43,342 --> 00:30:46,243
In the solar system.
522
00:30:46,245 --> 00:30:48,545
The tallest of them all?
523
00:30:48,547 --> 00:30:50,914
Olympus mons.
524
00:30:50,916 --> 00:30:54,918
It covers a landmass the size
of arizona and soars
525
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,721
Three times taller
than mount everest.
526
00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:07,497
This monster volcano
holds an astounding secret.
527
00:31:07,499 --> 00:31:11,235
Under its skin lies
an alien underworld,
528
00:31:11,237 --> 00:31:14,071
A labyrinth of lava tubes
and caves
529
00:31:14,073 --> 00:31:16,139
Carved out by the searing magma
530
00:31:16,141 --> 00:31:19,877
That once spewed
from the volcano's vents.
531
00:31:19,879 --> 00:31:23,614
The tubes stretch
for hundreds of miles.
532
00:31:23,616 --> 00:31:25,782
Protected from
the harsh surface,
533
00:31:25,784 --> 00:31:30,120
These lava tubes could shelter
future visitors
534
00:31:30,122 --> 00:31:32,222
To the red planet.
535
00:31:32,224 --> 00:31:33,790
If you're looking for a place
to go on mars,
536
00:31:33,792 --> 00:31:36,026
One interesting place
for astronauts to explore
537
00:31:36,028 --> 00:31:38,328
Might be near these lava tubes,
538
00:31:38,330 --> 00:31:40,597
Might give you some
natural protection
539
00:31:40,599 --> 00:31:43,367
From radiation
and meteorite hits
540
00:31:43,369 --> 00:31:45,469
And things that you're not
gonna be protected by
541
00:31:45,471 --> 00:31:48,772
'cause you don't have
an atmosphere.
542
00:31:48,774 --> 00:31:51,074
Narrator:
Volcanologist scott hughes
543
00:31:51,076 --> 00:31:54,645
Searches
for habitable martian caves.
544
00:31:54,647 --> 00:31:59,149
His team investigates the king's
bowl lava field in idaho
545
00:31:59,151 --> 00:32:01,618
Because this volcanic region
on earth
546
00:32:01,620 --> 00:32:05,522
Is remarkably similar
to tharsis on mars.
547
00:32:05,524 --> 00:32:08,425
It turns out that the features
that we see here
548
00:32:08,427 --> 00:32:10,661
On the snake river plain
are representative of mars.
549
00:32:10,663 --> 00:32:14,831
If we understand how fissures
and pits work on earth,
550
00:32:14,833 --> 00:32:17,768
We're getting a much better idea
of how we can explore them
551
00:32:17,770 --> 00:32:21,138
And what we need to
explore them on mars.
552
00:32:21,140 --> 00:32:23,707
Narrator: Scott knows
from aerial photographs
553
00:32:23,709 --> 00:32:27,744
That lava flows like this
cover the surface of mars.
554
00:32:27,746 --> 00:32:29,713
Hughes: And you see this
outflow channel there,
555
00:32:29,715 --> 00:32:31,782
And there's one here,
and there's one over here.
556
00:32:31,784 --> 00:32:33,383
These are like lava channels
557
00:32:33,385 --> 00:32:37,454
That we see
around volcanoes on earth.
558
00:32:37,456 --> 00:32:38,789
Narrator: Here in idaho,
559
00:32:38,791 --> 00:32:42,159
Scott's team maps out
the rock patterns on the surface
560
00:32:42,161 --> 00:32:46,763
To identify telltale signs
of lava tubes below.
561
00:32:46,765 --> 00:32:49,666
Could they have made this thing
any heavier?
562
00:32:49,668 --> 00:32:51,969
They use a special
laser-scanning technology
563
00:32:51,971 --> 00:32:53,770
Called "lidar"
564
00:32:53,772 --> 00:32:57,374
To create a 3-d model
with millimeter precision.
565
00:32:57,376 --> 00:33:01,044
Garry:
Lidar is a way to use little
laser pulses
566
00:33:01,046 --> 00:33:03,447
To be able to capture
the topography
567
00:33:03,449 --> 00:33:06,083
And the dimensions of the field
568
00:33:06,085 --> 00:33:09,553
That we're in,
of the geologic features.
569
00:33:09,555 --> 00:33:12,155
Narrator:
Mapping these volcanic features
on earth
570
00:33:12,157 --> 00:33:17,194
Will help guide them toward
the hidden lava tubes on mars.
571
00:33:17,196 --> 00:33:18,362
For some of us,
this is the closest
572
00:33:18,364 --> 00:33:20,097
We're ever gonna get to mars,
573
00:33:20,099 --> 00:33:22,699
So we got to do our best here
to understand it so that,
574
00:33:22,701 --> 00:33:25,135
When the next generation
of astronauts
575
00:33:25,137 --> 00:33:27,437
Is able to make their own
footprints on mars,
576
00:33:27,439 --> 00:33:28,872
We have as best an understanding
577
00:33:28,874 --> 00:33:31,808
Of where they're going in
those landing sites as possible.
578
00:33:33,779 --> 00:33:36,847
Narrator:
Lava tubes not only offer
radiation protection
579
00:33:36,849 --> 00:33:39,716
For future astronauts --
580
00:33:39,718 --> 00:33:42,853
They could also contain
precious metals and minerals
581
00:33:42,855 --> 00:33:44,654
For a mars colony.
582
00:33:49,261 --> 00:33:51,661
Around 200 million years ago,
583
00:33:51,663 --> 00:33:54,364
Magma from deep
within the planet rose
584
00:33:54,366 --> 00:33:57,868
To the surface
through volcanic vents.
585
00:33:57,870 --> 00:34:01,538
As the lava flow cooled,
tunnels formed.
586
00:34:05,077 --> 00:34:10,447
Deep below lies a layer
of minerals and precious metals.
587
00:34:10,449 --> 00:34:13,116
Mars' lava tubes formed
the perfect mine
588
00:34:13,118 --> 00:34:18,522
Shafts for future prospectors
to assess these vital resources.
589
00:34:20,926 --> 00:34:23,693
Hughes:
Once we get a good handle
on these internal processes,
590
00:34:23,695 --> 00:34:26,563
We can have a better idea
about where we can explore
591
00:34:26,565 --> 00:34:29,066
For the resources
needed to maintain a --
592
00:34:29,068 --> 00:34:30,767
Maintain a civilization.
593
00:34:37,109 --> 00:34:41,178
Narrator:
Where did mars' ancient
volcanic activity come from?
594
00:34:43,515 --> 00:34:45,782
We find evidence
of past volcanism
595
00:34:45,784 --> 00:34:48,552
All over the solar system.
596
00:34:48,554 --> 00:34:52,355
This activity began
4 billion years ago,
597
00:34:52,357 --> 00:34:56,593
When asteroids and comets
bombarded the early planets.
598
00:34:56,595 --> 00:34:59,429
Oluseyi:
The bombardment that these
planets suffered early
599
00:34:59,431 --> 00:35:01,898
In their origin
created a lot of heat.
600
00:35:01,900 --> 00:35:04,668
Now, inside these planets,
601
00:35:04,670 --> 00:35:06,803
A lot of that energy
wants to get out,
602
00:35:06,805 --> 00:35:09,473
And the way that
they get out is volcanoes.
603
00:35:09,475 --> 00:35:11,708
So, as a body cools,
604
00:35:11,710 --> 00:35:16,012
The volcanic activity
will become less and less.
605
00:35:16,014 --> 00:35:20,250
Narrator:
Like mars, most objects
gradually lose their volcanism
606
00:35:20,252 --> 00:35:23,687
As they cool...
607
00:35:23,689 --> 00:35:26,690
But not all.
608
00:35:26,692 --> 00:35:30,894
Io, a moon orbiting jupiter,
609
00:35:30,896 --> 00:35:33,463
Is the most volcanically
active object
610
00:35:33,465 --> 00:35:35,599
In the entire solar system.
611
00:35:38,770 --> 00:35:42,272
Hundreds of volcanic vents
blister its surface.
612
00:35:45,677 --> 00:35:51,148
The vents shoot plumes of sulfur
up to 250 miles into the sky.
613
00:35:53,252 --> 00:35:55,886
A single volcanic vent on io
614
00:35:55,888 --> 00:35:58,555
Creates a giant umbrella
of debris
615
00:35:58,557 --> 00:36:00,757
Like nothing seen on earth.
616
00:36:04,763 --> 00:36:07,831
Io doesn't cool like mars
or earth
617
00:36:07,833 --> 00:36:11,134
Because it has
an extra heat source.
618
00:36:11,136 --> 00:36:15,105
Its huge cosmic neighbor,
jupiter, keeps it hot.
619
00:36:15,107 --> 00:36:16,773
Oluseyi: When you have a really
big planet
620
00:36:16,775 --> 00:36:19,376
And you have a small moon
orbiting close to it,
621
00:36:19,378 --> 00:36:22,579
Like, say, io near jupiter,
then what can happen
622
00:36:22,581 --> 00:36:24,814
Is that you'll get tidal
flexing of the moon.
623
00:36:24,816 --> 00:36:26,583
And just like you can take
a wire hanger
624
00:36:26,585 --> 00:36:28,885
And bend it back and forth
and it'll become hot,
625
00:36:28,887 --> 00:36:32,022
As you take that moon
and you bend it and compress it
626
00:36:32,024 --> 00:36:34,057
Because of jupiter's
strong gravity,
627
00:36:34,059 --> 00:36:36,393
What happens is that
the interior becomes hot.
628
00:36:36,395 --> 00:36:42,165
And for that reason, io still
has abundant active volcanism.
629
00:36:42,167 --> 00:36:48,238
Narrator:
Without a big planet nearby,
mars continues to cool.
630
00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:51,975
The dormant volcanoes are more
likely to provide a shelter
631
00:36:51,977 --> 00:36:55,579
Than danger for humans.
632
00:36:55,581 --> 00:36:59,683
But before the first astronauts
even set foot on mars,
633
00:36:59,685 --> 00:37:03,820
They must conquer perhaps
the biggest challenge of all --
634
00:37:03,822 --> 00:37:07,991
A dangerous 7-month journey
through deep space.
635
00:37:17,402 --> 00:37:22,572
♪
636
00:37:22,574 --> 00:37:27,877
Narrator:
We've sent more than 40 robotic
missions to explore mars.
637
00:37:27,879 --> 00:37:30,614
Now the dawn
of human exploration
638
00:37:30,616 --> 00:37:34,684
On the red planet approaches.
639
00:37:34,686 --> 00:37:39,289
By the mid-2030s, I believe
we can send humans to orbit mars
640
00:37:39,291 --> 00:37:41,625
And return them safely to earth,
641
00:37:41,627 --> 00:37:44,127
And a landing
on mars will follow,
642
00:37:44,129 --> 00:37:45,962
And I expect to be around
to see it.
643
00:37:45,964 --> 00:37:48,031
[ applause ]
644
00:37:48,033 --> 00:37:49,466
We can get there.
645
00:37:49,468 --> 00:37:51,635
We've proven we can get things
there and control them there
646
00:37:51,637 --> 00:37:52,836
And remain in communication
647
00:37:52,838 --> 00:37:55,405
And do great science
and exploration.
648
00:37:55,407 --> 00:37:56,873
This is a place we can go to,
649
00:37:56,875 --> 00:37:58,675
And I think it is a place
we will go to --
650
00:37:58,677 --> 00:37:59,976
I don't think
there's any question.
651
00:37:59,978 --> 00:38:03,246
There's just a question
of when that will happen.
652
00:38:03,248 --> 00:38:06,349
Narrator:
But the trip of a lifetime
will feel like a lifetime
653
00:38:06,351 --> 00:38:10,487
For the brave first astronauts.
654
00:38:10,489 --> 00:38:14,791
Mars sits almost 600 times
further away from earth
655
00:38:14,793 --> 00:38:17,827
Than the moon,
significantly further
656
00:38:17,829 --> 00:38:20,530
Than humans
have ever traveled before.
657
00:38:22,634 --> 00:38:26,603
A one-way journey will take
seven months.
658
00:38:26,605 --> 00:38:31,241
A return --
almost two years.
659
00:38:31,243 --> 00:38:35,445
Isolation will be
a huge challenge.
660
00:38:35,447 --> 00:38:38,114
Massimino:
We're not meant, as people,
necessarily, to be alone, right?
661
00:38:38,116 --> 00:38:40,383
You don't want people
to feel isolated.
662
00:38:40,385 --> 00:38:41,451
It's not healthy.
663
00:38:41,453 --> 00:38:43,219
And even if you didn't care
about it
664
00:38:43,221 --> 00:38:44,821
From a health perspective,
665
00:38:44,823 --> 00:38:47,223
It's not good
for mission success.
666
00:38:47,225 --> 00:38:49,426
You want people to be productive
in space,
667
00:38:49,428 --> 00:38:53,163
And in order to be productive,
they generally need to be happy.
668
00:38:53,165 --> 00:38:55,198
It's a good thing, right?
We're people.
669
00:38:58,036 --> 00:39:01,771
Narrator:
The first astronauts to set foot
on the red planet will live
670
00:39:01,773 --> 00:39:05,942
And work
inside an earth-made habitat.
671
00:39:05,944 --> 00:39:08,878
They face a deadly threat
from cosmic rays,
672
00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:13,583
Lack of oxygen,
and mars' violent dust storms.
673
00:39:13,585 --> 00:39:17,287
To survive, they must live
inside this colony
674
00:39:17,289 --> 00:39:18,988
For a year or more.
675
00:39:24,329 --> 00:39:28,365
Scientists at nasa's
human research program
676
00:39:28,367 --> 00:39:30,900
Investigate how astronauts
will handle living
677
00:39:30,902 --> 00:39:34,337
In this confined environment.
678
00:39:34,339 --> 00:39:37,107
Lauren leveton simulates
the conditions
679
00:39:37,109 --> 00:39:39,075
Of a typical mars mission.
680
00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:45,248
She monitors its effects
on these test astronauts.
681
00:39:45,250 --> 00:39:47,283
Leveton:
We can deprive them of sleep,
682
00:39:47,285 --> 00:39:48,718
And we can look
at their performance
683
00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:51,955
And stress them in that way
and look at the team dynamics.
684
00:39:54,259 --> 00:39:57,427
Narrator:
On a real mars mission,
the crew of four astronauts
685
00:39:57,429 --> 00:40:01,865
Would share this space habitat
for many months at a time.
686
00:40:01,867 --> 00:40:03,566
Leveton:
These are unprecedented missions
687
00:40:03,568 --> 00:40:05,702
When it comes to their duration
and their distance,
688
00:40:05,704 --> 00:40:10,206
And so we will be putting crews
in habitats like this facility
689
00:40:10,208 --> 00:40:13,243
To make sure that the crew
remains psychologically okay
690
00:40:13,245 --> 00:40:16,012
And that the team itself
continues to function.
691
00:40:19,050 --> 00:40:21,985
Narrator:
Nasa will use intelligent
computer systems
692
00:40:21,987 --> 00:40:25,021
To watch over their astronauts
in deep space.
693
00:40:25,023 --> 00:40:27,190
Leveton: There are promising
new technologies,
694
00:40:27,192 --> 00:40:28,758
And facial recognition
is one of them,
695
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,528
That could track positive
and negative behaviors
696
00:40:31,530 --> 00:40:33,630
From just reading your face.
697
00:40:33,632 --> 00:40:37,567
Narrator:
A network of cameras observes
the astronauts at all times
698
00:40:37,569 --> 00:40:40,370
To assess
their psychological well-being.
699
00:40:40,372 --> 00:40:43,173
Leveton:
The optical computer recognition
700
00:40:43,175 --> 00:40:45,942
Is reading the faces
of each of the crewmembers
701
00:40:45,944 --> 00:40:49,412
And the way the mouth moves
and the eye moves,
702
00:40:49,414 --> 00:40:51,347
And we're testing it now
to see what it can pick up,
703
00:40:51,349 --> 00:40:54,818
In terms of stress
and fatigue.
704
00:40:54,820 --> 00:40:56,953
They have to be prepared
to do the work
705
00:40:56,955 --> 00:40:58,354
When they get to the planet,
706
00:40:58,356 --> 00:41:02,559
And they have to be in good
shape on the trip home, too.
707
00:41:02,561 --> 00:41:04,461
Narrator:
These astronauts will spend
708
00:41:04,463 --> 00:41:08,631
Just seven days
in their space habitat.
709
00:41:08,633 --> 00:41:13,169
The longest a human has ever
spent in space is 14 months.
710
00:41:15,974 --> 00:41:20,443
Living on mars will be
a colossal challenge.
711
00:41:20,445 --> 00:41:25,815
But for many scientists,
it's also a necessity.
712
00:41:25,817 --> 00:41:28,618
Mars will be a statement
that we are capable
713
00:41:28,620 --> 00:41:32,589
Of becoming
an interplanetary species.
714
00:41:32,591 --> 00:41:34,891
Oluseyi: The wonder that we have
for mars today
715
00:41:34,893 --> 00:41:37,126
Our future generations
are going to have
716
00:41:37,128 --> 00:41:39,629
Because we're still searching
for life there on mars,
717
00:41:39,631 --> 00:41:42,465
And there is still a lot
to be learned about the planet.
718
00:41:48,673 --> 00:41:53,409
Narrator:
Mars is a world of secrets just
waiting for human explorers --
719
00:41:56,114 --> 00:41:59,082
A burning core
that shakes the planet...
720
00:42:02,220 --> 00:42:05,855
Hidden reservoirs of water
that may harbor life...
721
00:42:09,261 --> 00:42:12,629
An alien underworld
of lava tubes and caves
722
00:42:12,631 --> 00:42:16,132
That offer shelter
and resources...
723
00:42:16,134 --> 00:42:19,536
And dust storms that rage
across the planet.
724
00:42:21,573 --> 00:42:27,677
This is the next stop on the
human journey into deep space.