National Geographic VR Experience Let Me Land And Walk On Mars, By Tony Bradley

Ben Cotton as Ben Sawyer the American mission commander and systems engineer on the Daedalus. The global event series MARS premieres November 14 at 8/9c in the U.S. and internationally Sunday November 13 on the National Geographic Channel. (photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky)

There are few things as universally exciting and inspirational as exploring space, and few organizations capable of sharing the thrill of space exploration the way National Geographic can. I had the privilege of attending the premier screening event for the upcoming Mars miniseries, and had the unique opportunity to experience a little of what it might be like to land on or walk on the surface of Mars.

There is an unprecedented brain trust involved with the production of the Mars series. The series was inspired by the book ‘How We’ll Live on Mars’ by Stephen Petranek. Producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard collaborated with National Geographic and a team of experts including Dr. Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society, former US astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, and more.