MARS - Episode Guide

"Before MARS" tells the dramatic backstory of Hana and Joon Seung, identical twin sisters who will grow up to be central characters in the upcoming global event series, "MARS" on the National Geographic Channel. Set in the present day, "Before MARS" focuses on the young twins' move to a small town and the events that will one day inspire Hana to join humankind's first expedition to another planet.

In 2033, the first human mission to Mars enters the red planet's atmosphere but the crew of the Daedalus faces a life-threatening emergency when the ship's landing system goes offline. The crew's commander risks his life to fix the problem as mission control monitors back on Earth. In the present-day documentary, SpaceX attempts to land the world's first reusable rocket in order to pioneer the critical technology that will help humans reach Mars.

In 2033, the Daedalus crew battles across the harsh Martian terrain to reach their prebuilt base camp. A race against the clock to reach the safety of camp begins when the ship commander reveals he has been injured during landing. In the present-day documentary, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly undergoes a historic yearlong mission on the International Space Station, revealing both the physical and emotional hardships astronauts face for space exploration.

In 2033, the Daedalus mission is in jeopardy as the crew struggles to find a permanent shelter that can provide long-term protection from radiation. The team must locate a suitable site for their settlement before their mission is cut short. In the present day documentary, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos, Russia's former federal space agency, partner to launch an orbiter that will help future Mars missions prepare for settlement through advanced imagery.

Four years have passed since the Daedalus crew landed on Mars and established the first settlement, Olympus Town. A new crew arrives to help execute plans for expansion and search for life. But a dust storm threatens the outpost. In the present-day documentary, the bustling McMurdo Station in Antarctica serves as a modern example of how humans will settle Mars, as scientists look for insights on how to discover life on another planet.

In 2037, the dust storm has lasted for months and the Olympus Town settlement's infrastructure is suffering as well as the mental well-being of its residents. The psychological pressures of life on Mars reveal themselves while the crew is trapped inside the habitat. In the present-day documentary, scientists study the effects of extreme isolation in various long-term analog missions in order to prepare for a future manned mission to Mars.

In 2037, a devastating tragedy in the colony forces everyone on Mars and Earth to question the mission. While the Olympus Town settlement tries to cope and continue its mission, controlling groups back on Earth struggle with a potential decision to end the mission. In the present-day documentary, commercial space company SpaceX again attempts to pioneer the rocket technology that would help mankind reach the red planet.

After almost a decade alone on Mars, scientists at IMSF's now fully developed Olympus Town settlement prepare for the arrival of a group of highly skilled astronauts working for Lukrum, a for-profit corporation specializing in natural-resource extraction. On board the world's northernmost oil platform, extreme conditions make for a Mars-like work environment. A worker shares the struggles of being away from his family for three weeks at a time.

The tenuous coexistence between the two Mars colonies threatens to dissolve. Relations between IMSF and Lukrum, now sharing a common water and power source, face rising tensions set off by a new discovery, Hana deals with a personal tragedy, and Amelie prepares to return to Earth. In present day, Greenpeace activists take to the seas to protest Arctic oil drilling in the Barents Sea and the effectiveness of such tactics are examined.

When a solar flare strikes the planet and knocks out communications between and within the colonies, the Olympus Town team races against the clock to locate Marta, who becomes stranded on the surface during a rogue research expedition. In present day, a scientist and his team brave harsh and dangerous conditions in the pursuit of data that will help predict the effects of glacial melt on global sea levels.

Marta convalesces as a mysterious illness sweeps through Olympus Town and Lukrum Colony. When IMSF realizes one of its own has died as a result, it races to determine the cause, origin and mode of transmission before time runs out—and more lives are claimed. Back in present day, Vladimir Chuprov, a Greenpeace activist, sheds light on an indigenous health crisis being kept quiet by the Russian state to benefit their Arctic oil endeavors.

Lukrum strikes a deal with Russia for exclusive mining rights. Uneasiness spreads over Olympus Town as LT. Commander Mike Glenn undermines Hana and endangers the members of Lukrum Colony as a result. And, a new baby – the first-generation Martian – arrives two months early! In the Arctic Circle in present day, nations attempt to work together to reign in corporate interests, protect fragile ecosystems and preserve indigenous lifestyles while fossil-fuel companies prioritize their own profit over the public good.

Lukrum pushes its corporate interest too far and unintentionally jeopardizes the safety of both colonies. IMSF springs into action to stabilize the situation, but for some, it will be too late. In the current climate on Earth, human activity has destabilized the natural world. NASA's Operation Icebridge studies Arctic sea ice in an attempt to bring awareness to global warming and the dramatically changing state of our planet, the only home we have… for now!

EXPEDITION MARS brings to life one of the greatest sagas of the Space Age - the epic struggle to get the Spirit and Opportunity rovers safely to Mars, and their astounding journeys of exploration once they finally got there.

Exploring the genesis of the initiative and diving into the process of how such an ambitious endeavor, accurately portraying the first human mission and settlement on the red planet, came to life.

MARS: Inside SpaceX will go inside SpaceX's plan to get humanity to Mars, providing an unprecedented glimpse into one of the world's most revolutionary companies.

A behind-the-scenes look at SpaceX, one of the world's most revolutionary companies, where Elon Musk and his engineers experience both setbacks and triumphs while advancing the space industry and striving to get humanity to Mars.