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Tonight (12 November), National Geographic's "Mars" series returns for a second season with a captivating premiere. This first episode reflects the concrete problems that can arise when private companies try to generate profits on the red planet. The episode also shows how capitalist pursuits on Earth in the Arctic could reflect our projected future in space.
The series combines dramatic stories with documentary interviews and filmmaking to show how our projected future on Mars fits the challenges we face here on Earth. The first episode of this series includes interviews with Mars experts including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Andy Weir, Elon Musk and Kim Stanley Robinson.
The first episode of the season reminds viewers of the dramatic conclusion where the first season has stopped. Since the first season of the series, "Mars" has already proved to be a difficult place to live – to put it mildly. The maiden crew has faced loss, psychological distress and many other things still on the red planet. But this new season promises to dive deeper into these issues. [Living on ‘Mars 2’: The Real Tech Behind Nat Geo’s Martian Colony]
In episode 1 of National Geographic's second season of "Mars," Olympus Town researchers face the arrival of a private company on the red planet. Credit: National Geographic / Dusan Martincek
In this first episode, the people of Olympus Town quickly realize that their lives will be different once Lukrum, a private mining company, will use Mars to exploit and sell Martian resources. When the government and private space companies meet, resources, political action and more are thrown into the air. But while this is a compelling tragedy, the integration of private enterprise into space exploration is deeply rooted in reality.
At present, private companies such as SpaceX and Boeing are employing to launch the first commercial crewed missions in space. Government space agencies are no longer the only ones traveling to explore outer space. And, as the dramatic scenario of "Mars," season 2 shows, commercial ventures on the surface of Mars raise some concerns.
As shown in the first episode of season 2 of "Mars," there will likely be people who will land on the surface of Mars without aiming for exploration or scientific advancement. Some will probably go to Mars just to take advantage of it. The episode also shows how, on Earth, humans have also gone from exploration to commercial exploitation of the Arctic by means of offshore drilling.
Commander Hana Seung and other residents of Olympus Town prepare to meet the miners in Lukrum during the first episode of the second season of "Mars" of National Geographic.
Credit: National Geographic / Dusan Martincek
The Arctic was once almost impossible to reach – a distant, hard and unforgiving destination. But as explorers and scientists expanded into the Arctic to learn more, a commercial venture quickly followed. Today, political activists and government agencies are questioning whether to allow companies to drill in the Arctic or not. This backflow stems from the fact that fuel in the Arctic can only be harvested with a high environmental cost.
"March" Season 2 shows how exploration, science and capitalism collided on Earth and what Mars could look like. As Commander Hana Seungstates in the first episode of Season 2 on Life on Mars: "Coexistence can prove to be just as difficult as on Earth."
Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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