MARTIAN ROBOTS

Nasa rovers Spirit and Opportunity explored.

When the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity touched down on Mars in 2004, they weren't expected to last long – perhaps ninety days, six months at most. But ninety days have stretched into almost five years, and a short-term science mission searching for evidence of water has turned into one of the greatest adventures of the Space Age. The rovers have trekked miles across hostile plains, climbed mountains, ventured in and out of deep craters, gotten stuck in sand dunes, survived dust storms and mechanical failures, and cheated death so often no one will venture a guess as to how much longer they might last. Mark Davis, writer/producer/director of the award-winning “Mars Dead or Alive” (NGIC/NOVA 2004) and “Welcome to Mars” (NGIC/NOVA 2005) teams with legendary Mars animator Dan Maas to bring this epic story to the screen in a...