Welcome to Mars: Nova (2005)

Nova's Mars: Dead or Alive -- the story of the design, construction, and space flight of the twin Mars rovers -- is the prequel to Nova's Welcome to Mars -- the story of the rovers' explorations of the Martian surface. Welcome to Mars is a pretty straightforward telling of the rovers' on-planet challenges, frustrations, and amazing successes -- from the perspective of a bunch of rocket scientists (whose favorite comfort food when under career-crunching emotional stress seems to be ice cream novelties). You get to see space-science doctorates stressing out, whooping it up, and giving bear hugs. (It's NASA's way of letting us know rocket scientists are people too and also of impressing on us landlubbers the incredible consequences for humanity's future that is potentially at stake with the Mars mission.) Whether the Mars rovers' operational hiccups, terrain obstacles, or ultimate demise constitute a technological who-done-it or thriller fare for you, anyone with a mind for science and its implications should follow Spirit's and Opportunity's progressive analysis and discovery of the prior existence of water -- and hence possibly life -- on the surface of Mars (some several billion years ago). Simply superb photos and closeups of the surface of Mars! 4 stars.