PBS Explorer Collection: The Red Planet [4 Discs]

As produced for - and originally aired on - PBS, this science-themed documentary box set features a quartet of documentaries all tied to the subjects of Mars and Mars exploration. explores answers to the titular query and related subtopics. It establishes the notion that the journey itself would take approximately 2-3 years, and would be laced with numerous perils, such as radiation, meteoroids and bone wasting. It also examines the tools that scientists are developing to make this journey more palatable, such as specialized space suits, gourmet space food, and a plasma rocket that could reduce the time of the journey to two weeks or so. The second documentary in the set, , begins with a discussion of the various Earth-made crafts that have landed on Mars, including the Spirit, the Opportunity, and the Phoenix probe; it then examines their discoveries, including possible evidence that life-nourishing water exists on Mars or may have existed at one point in time. also revolves around the Spirit and the Opportunity, focusing both on the difficulties wrought in bringing the vehicles to the surface, and the initial images of the Martian atmosphere. Finally, tells the incredible story of the 820 million dollar Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project.