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A sly, deadpan Canadian comedy about a team of non-astronauts sent into isolation in a desert on Earth because their personalities match the members of an actual ongoing Mars mission that's having interpersonal conflicts. The earthbound team is tasked with mirroring the real astronauts' behavior and coming up with solutions to the Martian team's psychological problems. 100% on RT with 9 reviews, free on Tubi and other options, mostly in French with English subtitles.
posted by mediareport on Oct 24, 2023 - 2 comments

The astronauts move quickly to build Martian bases. [more inside]
posted by cardboard on Jul 15, 2022 - 41 comments

A commercial spaceflight company makes an announcement. The choice over who’ll command the Mars mission leads to a shift in personnel. [more inside]
posted by cardboard on Jun 16, 2022 - 25 comments

Of course the noted Lady Astronaut Elma York would like to go, but there's a lot riding on whoever the International Aerospace Coalition decides to send on this historic -- but potentially very dangerous -- mission? Could Elma really leave behind her husband and the chance to start a family to spend several years traveling to Mars? And with the Civil Rights movement taking hold all over Earth, will the astronaut pool ever be allowed to catch up, and will these brave men and women of all races be treated equitably when they get there? [more inside]
posted by Etrigan on May 20, 2022 - 4 comments

A stowaway on a mission to Mars sets off a series of unintended consequences. This 2021 Hard Sci-Fi film is a modern retelling of Tom Godwin's 1954 The Cold Equations, a "needlessly cruel" short story that likely "got the equations themselves wrongs" in order to pose a moral dilemma for the characters. In the film, once the ship docks with the Aldrin Mars Cycler (named for its inventor, astronaut Buzz Aldrin) and leaves Earth's gravity well, there are no other voices or characters, enhancing the feeling of isolation ahead of the crew on their two year mission. The very realistic spacecraft spins the habit module on a tether to create artificial gravity and was mocked-up for the film by Scott Manley in Kerbal Space Program, while the claustrophobic interiors look like they were shot on a real space station.
posted by autopilot on Apr 26, 2021 - 36 comments

Rewatch! Operator error sends the Earth's first ship to the moon, 828 thousand miles away, instead to Mars, which is at best 33.9 million miles away and usually much further. That's some error; some scientists would give multiple limbs to be able to make errors like that. It's the first episode of Season Two, considered the point where Mystery Science Theater 3000 started to become really good, although the movie here is kind of dull. Next time.... Previously. Remember: for the time being we're also doing Sunday shows, so if you want to watch this one you'll want to show up tonight. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Apr 26, 2020 - 0 comments

Six astronauts aboard the International Space Station study a sample collected from Mars that could provide evidence for extraterrestrial life - the first example of life beyond Earth. The crew's research methods end up having unintended consequences. [more inside]
posted by gemmy on Mar 26, 2017 - 12 comments