TEXT: Robert: Retro rockets are about to fire in. Amelie Durand: 1, 2, 3, breathe. 1, 2, 3, breathe. Ben Sawyer: We dream. It's who we are. Down to our bones, our cells. That instinct to build. That drive to seek beyond what we know. It's in our DNA. We crossed the oceans, we conquered the skies. And when there were no more frontiers on Earth we launched ourselves among the stars. John F. Kennedy: We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Ben Sawyer: The heavens beckoned a new generation of innovators and explorers, seeking to take human kind even further. President Obama: We can push out into the solar system. Not just to visit but to stay. Ben Sawyer: That was when Mars became real for all of us. And for those of us who were around to see the first days, it was... electrifying. The world's leading space agencies united as the International Mars Science Foundation. And joined with private industry to accomplish one shared goal. To build a home for humankind on Mars. People weren't just talking about the red planet, they were making plans to go there. And after years of training in the Astronaut Corps I was chosen to command the first human mission to Mars. Ed Grann: Wonder, wonder. For as long as we've looked up at the night sky that is what we felt. We named the planets that hang among the stars after our gods. And gave them the same power to control our fate. With the support of the space-going nations of the IMSF the Mars Mission Corporation has overcome the most daunting engineering challenges our species has ever faced. This allows the brave pioneers standing before you today, to bring humanity into a new era. We will no longer stare and wonder at those planets we named for our gods. But take our place among them. Ben Sawyer: Ed Grann could sell anything, but he was more than a salesman. He was brilliant. Ed Grann: She's 14 stories base to nose. Javier: That's a fancy jacket you got today Ed. Ben Sawyer: And as much as any of us, he was a believer
SUMMARY:
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.