Former astronaut Mae Jemison on "Moon" for "Mars" – Entertainment and Life – The Columbus Dispatch



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The second season of National Geographic's "Mars" series, which begins Monday, will continue to combine fictional narratives with facts to provide an overview of efforts to establish a colony on the red planet in 2042. Six episodes will take place between events on Mars and interviews with some of the biggest names in science and space exploration.

The creators of the series take every precaution to ensure that the fictional part of the story is based, including having former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison – the first African-American woman to travel in space – as a scientific advisor. The 62-year-old is familiar with the solar system because the doctor, engineer and social scientist have served for six years as NASA's astronaut. During her stay aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor, which was part of the STS-47 Spacelab Japan mission, in September 1992, she conducted experiments in materials science, life sciences and human adaptation to the world. ;weightlessness.

The events of "Mars" take place in 2042 when the astronauts of the International Foundation for Mars Science (IMSF) have developed a colony in their own right. If this is close to the current period, the time spent in space by Jemison has arrived half a century too early.

"I have the impression that we spent too much time with that and that I should have been on Mars when I was an astronaut," Jemison said. "When I was little, growing up, we hoped we could continue and be able to do more things."

Jemison did his part to promote space exploration as the author of "Find Where the Wind is Passing: Some Moments in My Life" and a series of True Books on Exploration Space. And in 1994, she founded the international science camp The Earth We Share.

For National Geographic, the company partnered with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Michael Rosenberg of Imagine Entertainment to create the series. This season explores the boundaries between science and industry on an isolated and ruthless frontier. It also examines what happens when an agreement needs to be reached with the private sector to secure sufficient funding to continue the work.

"This season certainly has a physical and dangerous action and everything that makes it a good vision. But it's getting more and more psychological, more and more relationship-centric and a different kind of pressure on those characters, "said Howard.

This drama is a "Mars" cast that includes returning actors from Season 1 as well as several newcomers, including Jihae ("Mortal Engines"), Jeff Hephner ("Black Code") and Esai Morales ("NYPD Blue") . Among the camera's experts are Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, Ellen Stofan, former chief scientist of NASA, Michio Kaku, theoretical and futuristic physicist, the director of space policies of the Planetary Society, Antonia Juhasz, author and activist, journalist specializing in climate change. Naomi Klein.

Jemison said he has given considerable support to the work on "Mars" because it is designed to be both entertaining and educational.

"I think that very often you can not tell people things, but you can show them and engage them," Jemison said. "The reason a show like" Mars "can be so powerful is that you watch it all grow and feel like you're part of it. And you do not realize that you are learning things. "

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