For Immediate Release

The Mars Society Capitol Area Chapter contacts:
 
 

Ron Hess Acting President rh96b@nih.gov

Joe Webster  VP Outreach  jwebster@hsdwdc.com

Eric Choi Media Coordinator emc528@hotmail.com

MISSION TO MARS MOVIE FLAWED BUT ENTERTAINING

Mission to Mars, the new science fiction film from Touchstone Pictures that
opens in theaters today, is a flawed but entertaining portrayal of humans
exploring the Red Planet.  Unlike many previous efforts, such as the silly
1978 conspiracy flick Capricorn One, the producers of this new movie seem to
have given some attention to scientific accuracy.  For example, the concept
of extracting resources from the Martian environment, as well as the designs
of the surface habitats and Earth return vehicles, resemble aspects of the
Mars Direct exploration plan developed by Mars Society founder and president
Dr. Robert Zubrin.

Nevertheless, the writers do bend some facts for dramatic effect.  For
instance, there are scenes in which the Stars and Stripes flutters stiffly
in the Martian wind, the thermal insulation of the base gets blown around
violently, and the astronauts strain to walk in a violent dust storm.  While
visually impressive and entertaining, such scenes are not technically
accurate.  The atmospheric pressure at the surface of Mars is less than one
percent that of the Earth's at sea level.  A hurricane-sized Martian storm
of 100 mph would correspond to a light breeze of less than 10 mph on our
planet.  So, the flag would not flutter, the thermal blankets would stay
put, and the dust would more resemble a London fog than a Saharan sand
storm.

The most serious "error" in the movie is an unfortunate choice by the
writers  to make the mythical "Face" on Mars a major plot element.  This
alleged "alien artifact" has been imaged in detailed by the Mars Global
Surveyor -- one of the current exciting real-life Mars missions -- and has
been shown beyond a reasonable doubt to be of natural origin.  The story and
theme of Mission to Mars could easily have been conveyed without resorting
to this uncreative "crutch".  It is regrettable that the inclusion of this
pseudoscientific element not only diminishes the quality of the film but
also contributes to the growing problem of scientific illiteracy and belief
in the paranormal.

Perhaps the best contribution films like Mission to Mars can make is to
entertain the public and thus fire the imaginations of people towards the
possibility and desirability of real human missions to the Red Planet.  The
most memorable images in the movie are those of American astronauts raising
the Stars and Stripes on the Martian surface, and the scenes of those brave
explorers traversing the stark and awesome beauty of the crimson landscape.
Another positive aspect of Mission to Mars is that it is set only 20 years
in the future.  This should emphasize the point that real human Mars
missions are not a distant fantasy 50 or 100 years away, but something that can and
should be undertaken in the near future.  Given the public and political
will, missions similar to those proposed in Dr. Zubrin's Mars Direct plan
could be accomplished in about ten years.

The Mars Society is an organization committed to promoting both
governmentally funded and privately financed missions for the exploration
and eventual settlement of the Red Planet.  Towards this end, the Capitol
Area Chapter shall use its proximity to the seat of government to rally
support for these objectives.  For more information, please visit the
Chapter's website at http://www.chesapeake.net/~fuzz/mars/.