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Marta Kamen spies a drilling site in Lukrum.
Credit: Richard Donnelly / National Geographic
This evening's (November 26) episode of "March" from National Geographic shows the tremendous efforts that scientists will make to answer some of life's most difficult questions.
"Mars", a docudrama that combines a dramatic scenario with interviews with documentary-like experts in the real world, was created in 2016. The series first tracked the first humans to land on the surface of Mars . Now, the second season of the series plunges even deeper into the complex issues facing Mars and how they align with the concerns of Earth on Earth. The first two episodes of Season 2 have been confronted with tensions between private and government space companies and the question of whether we will treat Mars the same way we treat the Earth. The season has also explored the impact of life on Mars on relationships and people's mental health.
Episode 3 shows how much scientists are sacrificing for their work while Marta Kamen, an exobiologist and Russian mission geologist at Olympus Town, goes against Commander Seung's orders to search for life on Mars . As episode 2 illustrates, Lukrum – the private mining company established on the surface of the Martian planet – will excavate areas of scientific interest without regard to Olympus city researchers. and how their work could contaminate samples. Kamen is committed to his mission of discovering and studying life on the red planet and does not support how Lukrum has continued to ignore how his actions could affect or even devastate innovative research. And, thanks to his dedication, Kamen is ready to risk everything to advance his work. [How Living on Mars Could Challenge Colonists (Infographic)]
Kamen's struggle with Lukrum and his dedication to research are paralleled in episode 3 by real-life scientists conducting research on Greenland's ice sheet. This vast ice deposit is a hostile environment for humans, as shown by glaciologist Jason Gulley in this episode. He and others spend months every year, mostly in remote areas and in extreme conditions, until the helicopter that comes out will arrive. Gulley and his team experience extreme temperatures and the threat of getting lost on the ice. The frozen rivers threaten to evacuate them as the elements shake their senses relentlessly. But as the ice cap continues to melt at a surprising rate, the study of the region contributes greatly to our understanding of climate change and the possible rise in sea level.
In addition to braving the elements, scientists on Earth as well as fictitious scientists from Olympus Town are facing opposition and skepticism from government and the public. In Olympus Town, Kamen is at odds with the IMSF (International Foundation for Science Mars), an Earth-based agency that governs the people of Olympus Town. She fears that Lukrum will contaminate Martian samples likely to contain new life forms, but the IMSF does not want it to be involved in Lukrum's operations.
Here on Earth, scientists studying climate change, such as those studying the Greenland icecap and Arctic ice, face constant opposition. Personal opinions contradict the scientific facts of both the government and the general public, so scientists and those who advance climate science must really fight for their work. This fight is presented in the most striking details of this third episode.
Javier and Amelie, colonists from Olympus Town, embrace each other. Relationships can be complicated on Mars.
Credit: Attila Szalay / National Geographic
The episode also continues to highlight the psychological consequences that could result in life on another planet. From colonists struggling with Master Seung's chagrin to hiding his emotions to retain his authority, to the complex and ever-changing nature of love relationships, life on the red planet is complicated.
Scientists are working to understand how such a trip could affect the mental health of astronauts. Whether it's a long-term trip to Mars or a life on an alien planet that you may never leave, the trip will run under the sign of isolation and difficulties. Hopefully with ongoing efforts to understand these effects, future astronauts will be prepared for such difficulties.
"Mars" airs Monday at 21h. EST / 20h CST.
Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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