International Space Station Gets An Early Screening Of THE MARTIAN

In “The War of the Worlds”, writer H.G. Wells posited a Martian culture that would attempt to conquer Earth. In 1938, Orson Welles panicked listeners who thought they were listening to a news broadcast rather than his radio adaptation of Wells’s novel. In 1953 and 2005 came two big screen versions of the alien attack.

In 1964, audiences flocked to cinemas to see ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS – the sci-fi version of the classic novel by author Daniel Defoe.

Our fascination with the Red Planet is seemingly inexhaustible.

Now comes 20th Century Fox’s THE MARTIAN and on Saturday the crew of the International Space Station were treated to an early screening of director Ridley Scott’s latest film. Astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren tweeted out the photos below.

On March 27, Kelly launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to stay aboard the ISS for one year, which is twice as long as typical U.S. missions.

This one year mission is critical to understanding how the human body reacts to long duration of spaceflight. The science gathered will be used to determine ways to reduce risks on future deep space missions such as the journey to Mars.

Watched @MartianMovie on @Space_Station last night! Today working towards our #JourneyToMars during my #YearInSpace! pic.twitter.com/rIEBjFxRIr

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) September 20, 2015

Movie night! What a treat to watch #TheMartian while in space and see reflections of our own #JourneyToMars! pic.twitter.com/zdXg7ONk0S — Kjell Lindgren (@astro_kjell) September 20, 2015

NASA was a key collaborator, consultant and advisor on the entire project, from script through principal photography. Producer Mark Huffam remembers calling NASA during the first production meeting with Ridley Scott and being “very pleased to learn that they knew the book and were enthusiastic about an open-door relationship and free exchange of ideas.”

Production was allowed to film rocket launches at Cape Canaveral, including the December 2014 liftoff of the Orion, a next-generation spacecraft designed to take humans deep into space as a first step toward human exploration of Mars. The Orion was sent into orbit containing a Ridley Scott tribute: the first sketch the director made of Mark Watney, on the script’s cover page, with the astronaut’s bold declaration, “I’m going to science the shit out of this planet.”

The partnership with NASA initiated with Bert Ulrich, the agency’s film and television liaison, and then expanded to include, among others, Dr. James Green, NASA’s Director of Planetary Sciences, and Dave Lavery, from the Mars office, who acted as technical consultants on the script and the production.

Ulrich says Andy Weir’s novel, which is now unofficial recommended reading at Johnson Space Center, and Ridley Scott’s acclaimed body of work resonated deeply within the agency as it prepares its journey to Mars.

“Science fiction, especially in films, is continually an influence on real science,” Ulrich states. “I think both art and science draw from similar aspects of creativity, curiosity and vision.”

Check out the real NASA technologies here: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nine-real-nasa-technologies-in-the-martian

Watch the International Space Station’s research here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNEWihFe_CA

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return.

Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Donald Glover, Mackenzie Davis, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

THE MARTIAN opens on October 2.

Visit the film’s site: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-martian