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A quarter million tons to Mars: SpaceX’s ambitious vision – Ynetnews

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, outlined his vision years ago to transport humanity to Mars using the Starship spacecraft. Last weekend, a year after Starship's first trial and a few weeks after the third trial, Musk unveiled an updated plan, which includes the establishment of an independent colony on Mars within two decades.

Musk addressed SpaceX employees at the company's Boca Chica space base in South Texas. He reiterated the imperative of transforming humanity into a multi-planetary species, transcending the constraints of a single planet, and, in the distant future, into an interstellar species, not confined to a single solar system.

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Starship spacecraft

(Photo: SpaceX)

Mars stands as the primary candidate for human settlement, currently representing the sole viable option. To realize this monumental goal, SpaceX developed the Starship system, a massive spacecraft capable of vertical landing and reusability that can be launched repeatedly. Its launch vehicle, Super Heavy, is also designed for multiple deployments. The entire assembly of the spacecraft and the launch vehicle is collectively referred to as Starship, though this can be somewhat confusing.

In Starship's third trial, conducted in March 2024, the spacecraft achieved its designated space trajectory for the first time, followed by re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. However, the intended activation of its engines in space and subsequent targeted crash into the sea encountered technical failures. The spacecraft failed to reactivate its engines for a controlled descent and ultimately disintegrated during re-entry. Additionally, the launch vehicle, which was supposed to perform a landing maneuver over water and then crash into the sea, exploded before completing its mission.

In his Saturday speech, Musk expressed hope that the spacecraft would successfully withstand the heat during re-entry in its fourth experimental flight, scheduled for a few weeks later. In the future, plans to implement a novel landing technique for the launch vehicle, and in some cases the spacecraft itself, involving a specialized tower equipped with mechanical arms to gently guide the hovering rocket to the ground. In the forthcoming flight, Musk said, the rocket will attempt a landing with a virtual tower over the sea, executing the vertical stabilization maneuver while hovering, before crashing into the water. A successful virtual maneuver would pave the way for its real-world counterpart to be tested in the subsequent fifth flight.

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A formidable launch system poised to surpass all predecessors. Starship 3, on the right, compared to the two preceding models

(Photo: SpaceX)

A successful virtual maneuver would pave the way for its real-world counterpart to be tested in the subsequent fifth flight. The maneuver is more challenging concerning the spacecraft, due to its high-speed descent from space. Musk stated that the company would want to record at least two consecutive successes in such a maneuver over the sea before attempting to land the spacecraft at its Texas launch base, to reduce the potential risk of debris and shrapnel scattering over the United States and Mexico in the event of a malfunction.

Presently, Starship launches are performed exclusively only from SpaceX's facility in Texas, but the company has already started building a suitable launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it launches most of its rockets. Musk has revealed that the company is constructing two launch pads there, with the first anticipated to become operational by the middle of next year. Along with an additional launch pad under construction at Boca Chica, this will bring the total to four active Starship launch facilities by the end of next year. Trials will continue in Texas, while routine operational launches will shift to Florida.

The main innovation in Musk's remarks was the presentation of the future model of Starship, called Starship 3. Following the completion of trials, SpaceX plans to initiate flights using Starship 2, which is slightly larger than the models currently being tested: it will be about 52 meters tall, compared to about 50 meters in the current version, and will be capable of transporting a payload of at least 100 tons to Earths orbit. The upcoming Starship 3 will be nearly 70 meters in height, equipped with nine engines instead of six, and capable of carrying over 200 tons of payload to Earths orbit. For comparison, the Saturn V rocket, which launched the Apollo spacecraft to the moon, carried a payload of about 140 tons to Earths orbit.

In parallel with upgrades to the spacecraft, the company is also developing a new model of Raptor engines, utilized both in the launch vehicle and in Starship itself. Musk presented the ex-generation engine, Raptor 3, which is anticipated to withstand harsh conditions, particularly heat, owing to an internalized design for components that are currently installed externally. Additionally, Raptor 3 will provide stronger thrust and will be easier to manufacture due to the improved design.

The key to Starship missions to Mars, or any other destination, will be refueling in Earth orbita technology that has not yet been tested, in part due to the challenges of transferring large quantities of liquids in microgravity conditions. SpaceX has already commenced the third experimental flight of Starship to evaluate technologies for fuel transfer between tanks. The long-term plan envisions Starship vessels loaded with cargo to Mars or other destinations reaching Earth orbit with nearly depleted fuel tanks, having consumed most of their fuel to bring the payload into orbit. There, they will connect to refueling ships that will replenish their tanks, before setting off to their distant destination.

Given the differing orbital speeds of Earth and Mars around the sun, launches to the Red Planet are possible only during specific windows when the two planets are relatively close, resulting in a journey lasting typically 6 to 9 months. These potential launch windows to Mars occur every 26 months. According to Musks vision, it should be possible to launch up to ten Starship spacecraft per day during these time windows. Once fueled, these spacecraft will await the opportune moment to initiate their journey toward Mars.

Musk proposes that each craft, carrying 200 tons of cargo, could collectively transport 250,000 tons of equipment to Mars during each launch window, culminating in delivery of one million tons of essential supplies to the neighboring planet over an approximate span of about eight years. Musk believes that establishing a functioning and self-sustainable colony on Mars, capable of producing and meeting all its needs independently without reliance on Earth, requires the migration of a million people and several million tons of cargo. He believes this goal can be achieved within twenty years. This ambitious endeavor entails the construction of thousands of spacecraft per year, a feat that Musk deems entirely feasible and comparable to current automotive industry scales.

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According to Musk, a self-sustaining Mars colony that would be independent of Earth could be established within 20 years. Visualization of SpaceXs Mars Colony

(Photo: SpaceX)

Such a colony would need to develop, among other things, energy sources and methods for their production, mining methods for ice and minerals, long-term life support systems, construction methods and technologies utilizing local materials, and a global communication system. According to Musk's vision, the need for new technologies opens up many opportunities for entrepreneurs and offers new horizons for companies entering these markets.

According to his plan, most of the Starship spacecraft launched to Mars will not return from there but will instead undergo recycling for colony needs. The spacecraft, constructed from stainless steel, could be melted down and recycled to produce tools, building materials, and more. Later, some of the spacecraft will be launched back to Earth after refueling, utilizing resources harvested from the Martian atmosphere and from the ice in its soil, notably methane (CH4) and oxygen (O2). Ultimately, this could establish regular, albeit slow, two-way traffic between Earth and Mars.

Central to realizing the grand plan is a significant reduction in launch expenses. Musk is convinced that by implementing mass production techniques for thousands of spacecraft and rockets per year, using affordable and readily available fuel, and fully recycling these crafts and rockets, the cost of launching a Starship could drop to just $2-3 million. While this might still seem costly, it is notably less than the price of launching "Falcon 1", which the company launched at the beginning of its journey in 2006, capable of carrying less than 200 kilograms of payload into Earth orbit.

In the meantime, the company is financing most of Starships production and development from its two main projects: the Starlink satellite communication network, which includes more than 6,000 satellites serving close to three million customers, and launches to Earth orbit utilizing the Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX's trusted workhorse. These rockets deploy satellites for many commercial and governmental clients, as well as crewed and uncrewed Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Currently, until Boeing finally launches its crewed spacecraft, SpaceX remains the sole American entity launching astronauts into space, serving both NASA and private companies such as Axiom.

SpaceX is engaged in many other projects, notably NASA's effort to return humans on the moon again as part of the Artemis program. Starship has been selected by NASA as the designated crewed landing vehicle for the program's initial missions, and potentially also in subsequent endeavors.For these purposes, SpaceX is developing a lunar version of Starship, equipped with appropriate landing legs and devoid of the heat shield and steering fins needed for atmospheric reentry. NASA officially plans a crewed landing on the moon by the end of 2026, though it is more realistically expected to occur two or three years later.

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A testing ground for technologies en route to Mars. SpaceX's envisioned lunar base

(Photo: SpaceX)

The company's agreement with NASA does not grant the space agency exclusive rights to use the lunar landing vehicle, allowing SpaceX to sell it to other space agencies or use it for private missions. Indeed, SpaceX has expressed intentions to establish a Moon base, as briefly mentioned by Musk in his recent address. Such a base, if realized, would likely serve SpaceX or its clients as a testing ground for technologies destined for Mars exploration

Meanwhile, SpaceX is solidifying its status as the foremost operator in Earths orbit. According to Musk, about 90 percent of orbital activity is attributable to SpaceX, primarily driven by the Starlink satellites. Musk notes that approximately 90 percent of orbital activity is attributable to SpaceX, primarily due to the Starlink satellites. China accounts for an additional six percent, with the remaining four percent distributed among other global entities.

SpaceX's dominance is expected to increase once Starship becomes fully operational. Well before routine Mars flights become a reality, it's likely that these sizable spacecraft, if they deliver on their promise of low launch costs, will be used not only for deploying large payloads such as space stations but also for satellite deployment and other spacecraft missions. Musk estimates that his company could eventually control 99 percent of activity in Earth orbit. While this goal may sound ambitious and aspirational, judging by SpaceX's progress so far, it is by no means unattainable.

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Can Elon Musk Get Us to Mars Without Killing Everyone – Medium

Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

One mans vision looms large Elon Musk, the enigmatic entrepreneur behind SpaceX, has long set his sights on the Red Planet. But amidst the lofty ambitions and grand promises, one question looms large: Can Elon Musk really get humans to Mars alive?

Lets break down the complexities of this monumental endeavor. The longest duration a human has spent in space stands at 437 days, achieved by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov. With the transit time from Earth to Mars ranging between 150 to 300 days, the logistics of reaching Mars are within reach, at least in terms of duration. However, the true challenge lies in the journey back. The round trip encompasses a staggering 600 days, a duration for which we lack empirical data on the human bodys ability to endure.

But what about the broader goal of establishing a sustainable colony on Mars? The answer, unequivocally, is yes but with a caveat. While humanity may one day call Mars home, achieving a self-sustaining colony is a monumental task that will take decades to realize. The sheer magnitude of resources required from lifting massive payloads into orbit to transporting delicate equipment across vast distances presents formidable challenges that cannot be underestimated.

So, can Elon Musk deliver on his promise to transport humans to Mars alive? The answer is a cautious yes. Musks SpaceX endeavors have undeniably propelled space exploration to new heights, but the ultimate goal may be more aligned with deep-space tourism than colonization. While Musks ambitions are commendable, the reality of establishing a thriving Martian colony will require a collaborative effort between nation-states, mega-corporations, and the international community at large.

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Will future colonists on the moon and Mars develop new accents? – Livescience.com

In the not-too-distant future, humans will begin to spread out into the solar system and not just for fleeting visits. The ultimate goal of space exploration (apart from finding aliens) is to set up human colonies on other worlds to learn more about our cosmic neighborhood and search for new resources that could help us thrive on Earth.

The first human space colonies will likely take root on the moon and could emerge within the next few decades. But the bigger, long-term target is to put a colony on Mars, which will become a more realistic goal once we've established a permanent presence on the moon.

The idea of human groups living away from our planet opens up a litany of questions about future colonists for experts to solve, such as how they will grow food or access water and how will they adapt to living with less gravity.

However, one query has long been overlooked: What might future space colonists sound like? Or, more specifically, what kind of accents might they develop?

Human accents are a fascinating topic of research in themselves. Every person has at least some sort of accent, regardless of whether they realize it, and all of these accents can be traced to specific times, places, languages or groups of people here on Earth. But with the dawn of space colonies on the horizon, the way future interplanetary settlers will pronounce their words is uncharted territory.

Related: Which animals will be the first to live on the moon and Mars?

"New accents emerge by imitation," Jonathan Harrington, director of the Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich in Germany, told Live Science. "We remember the sounds and words of a conversation, and these can have a small influence on the future way that we speak."

These changes are subconscious and occur only when we interact with people who have different accents from us over long periods, Harrington said. This is why people who have lived in a new country or region for long periods develop subtle changes to their accents without realizing it.

But when people with different accents become isolated from the rest of the world, the entire group will start to mimic one another, creating a brand-new blend of the available accents, Harrington said. This can start to happen very quickly, especially in small groups, he added.

In 2019, Harrington led a study that analyzed the phonetic changes of 11 researchers who spent a winter isolated in a laboratory in Antarctica. The group comprised eight people from England (five with Southern accents and three with Northern accents), one from the U.S. Northwest, one from Germany and one from Iceland. Throughout the experiment, the researchers noticed that each individual displayed phonetic changes and that the group collectively started pronouncing specific sounds differently and used different parts of their mouths to make those sounds. These were the first steps of a new accent forming.

"Exactly the same thing should happen in any environment in which individuals are isolated together over a prolonged period, whether this is in Antarctica or in space," Harrington said. "In fact, accent change should be even greater in space because contact with the home community is even more difficult."

On Mars or the moon, colonists could start to develop subconscious-yet-audible changes to their accents within a few months especially on Mars, where conversing with people on Earth is even more challenging due to the roughly 20-minute delay it takes for messages to travel between the two planets, Harrington said.

However, for unique, long-lasting accents to emerge, the colony likely would need to be big enough for colonists to reproduce, so that the accent could be passed on to future generations.

Related: Which planet is closest to Earth? (Hint: There's more than 1 right answer.)

If new colony members were added to a colony in the early stages of habitation, they could shift the trajectory of that group's accent. However, once an accent were fully established, new colonists would likely have a minor impact on how that accent evolved and would slowly change their accents to match that of the rest of the colony.

Any new accents that developed in space colonies would likely be shaped by the most abundant accent within the group, Harrington said. A good example of this is the Australian accent, which has lots of similarities to London's "Cockney" accent because most of the original settlers had that accent, he added.

If the initial accents were evenly split, then the new accents would be a mix of them all, rather than resembling one particular accent. As a result, unless future colonies on Mars and the moon are made up of groups with an identical mix of accents, they would likely develop different accents, Harrington said. The different environmental factors on the moon and Mars would likely not impact either accent in a major way, he added.

Without knowing the accents of the astronauts that will make up future Martian and lunar colonies, it is hard to predict what these accents might sound like. However, as soon as the colonists are selected, it could be possible to predict how the accents will evolve.

During the 2019 study in Antarctica, the study team used a computer learning program to predict how the participants' accents might change during the study. To their surprise, the team found the vocal changes they observed matched up very well with what the program predicted.

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Did the Curiosity rover find alien bones on Mars? – Syfy

In the classic run of The Twilight Zone(check the SYFY schedule for airdates), Rod Serling delivered one of the most blistering twists in storytelling history with the episode I Shot an Arrow into the Air. The 15th episode of the first season begins with a crewed mission to an unexplored asteroid. Disaster strikes and half of the eight-person crew is killed when their craft crashes on the asteroids surface. Slowly, the rest of the crew perish, trying to survive on an alien world, until only one remains.

The 1968 filmPlanet of the Apes (also written by Serling) has a similar premise. Astronauts on an interstellar voyage waken from stasis and crash land on an alien planet in a star system 300 light years from Earth. There, they encounter populations of intelligent non-human apes and a subclass of primitive humans.

The characters of Battlestar Galactica (streaming now on Peacock!) represent the remnant of humanity leftover after all out war with a cybernetic race of warmongers known as the Cylons. The remaining humans inhabit 12 colony worlds, but theyre searching for a lost colony and their true home: Earth.

RELATED:Where is the Battlestar Galactica cast now? Edward James Olmos, Katee Sackhoff & more

In each case, the protagonists of these stories (not to mention the audience) were in for a big surprise. The last surviving astronaut of that asteroid mission, lived just long enough to learn his spacecraft had malfunctioned and he had crashed right here at home, in the Nevada desert. Having escaped the clutches of the apes, Charlton Heston's Taylor rides the shoreline on a horse and discovers the partially buried remains of the Statue of Liberty. And the humans looking for Earth, they eventually gave up, settled someplace else, and named it Earth in honor of the world they never found. That false Earth is the world youre living on right now.

Each of those stories have one thing in common: by the time the credits roll, weve learned that what the characters took for an alien world was, in fact, Earth all along.

Its a classic trope, and one which has been employed exhaustively, but its never been tried in real life. Imagine our surprise, then, when the Curiosity rover recently stumbled upon what appear to be the remains of a decayed rib cage sticking out of a Martian rock.

Curiosity has been roaming around Gale Crater, a 96-mile impact crater, for more than a decade, taking pictures the whole time. Martian spacecraft track the date based on how many Martian days (Sols) have passed since they landed. Sol 1 is the day they land, Sol 30 is one Martian month later, and so on. On Sol 3798 (That was April 1 on the Earth calendar, but this is no April Fools prank), the rover snapped pictures of a rock with a series of long, slender spikes sticking out of its side.

At first glance, it conjures visions of ribbed newts, a species of salamander with a defense mechanism that would make aliens proud. When threatened, ribbed newts change the angle of their ribs, swinging them forward while keeping the rest of the body rigid. As a result, the ribs pierce the newts skin, protruding from the sides of the body like adamantium claws in need of directions. On their way through the skin, theyre covered in a venomous mucus, turning them into deadly weapons. It isnt the most comfortable defense mechanism but, boy, is it effective.

While Gale Crater is whats left of a massive lake which existed roughly 3.5 billion years ago, it's unlikely that lake was filled with rib-stabbing newts. The images spurred conversation on Twitter, from scientists and enthusiasts alike. Nathalie Cabrol, an astrobiologist studying Mars ancient lake beds said she has never seen anything stranger in over 20 years studying Martian geology. She went on to explain that the formation, strange as it is, is likely the result of ripples in the rock and a whole lot of erosion. But if theres one thing weve learned about Mars, its that things arent always what they seem.

This certainly isnt the first time humans have found an unusual rock formation on Mars and thought it might be something weird. The red planet is famous for having a gigantic face on its surface and it has only been a few months since astronomers found what looks like the face of a bear in severe need of therapy, staring up from the surface of Mars. Each one is a surprise, but that they exist at all, shouldnt be surprising.

RELATED: Astronomers find the face of a cracked-out bear on the surface of Mars

If you take one desert planet, muss its hair with liquid water and volcanic activity, then turn down the lights, lock the doors, and leave it to the whims of wind-blown sand for a few billion years, youll end up with just about every geological formation you can imagine, and a few you cant. This isnt even the first time weve found something bone-like on Mars. Back in 2014, Curiositys MastCam imaged what looked like a loose collection of scattered bones, partially buried in Martian soil. One rock in particular sticks out among the rest, thanks to its striking resemblance to a femur.

If found on Earth, these rocks might trick a paleontologist for a minute, but theyd figure it out pretty quickly. On Mars, though, its pretty clear that geology is at work. Is it possible that life arose on Mars in the past? Yes! And were working hard to find out. Is it possible that Martian life not only existed but was complex enough to adapt large bodies and leave fossilized bones behind? Hell, we dont know. No one does. But probably not. If they did, there should be a lot of them and todays kids will grow up to become alien paleontologists, the coolest job that has ever existed. Its more likely that theyll grow up to become alien geologists and finally explain how weird rock formations like these are created.

You know how the old saying goes: never attribute to dope alien creatures that which is adequately explained by physics.

Watch Battlestar Galactica streaming on Peacock, and learn that the real Earth was the friends we made along the way.

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SpaceX releases simulation video of trip to Mars – Travel Tomorrow

SpaceX has released a simulation video of Mission to Mars, showcasing Elon Musks vision of what the future of space travel could look like, including a colony on the Red Planet.

The 5-minute animation starts off showing Starbase, SpaceXs base on the Gulf Coast of Texas, before the Starship rocket takes off. Built from shiny stainless-steel, with its nostril embellished with fins and ten metres taller than the giant Saturn V rocket, Starship seems to be poised to revolutionise space travel. Capable of transporting thousands of tonnes in weight and greatly reduce back and forth travelling between space and Earth, the fully reusable rocket holds the key of Musks settlement of a colony on Mars.

Soon after take-off, the rocket breaks in two, the 33-engine first stage returns to base and smoothly lands back at the orbital launch tower, while the 50-metre-tall upper stage docks onto a tanker in Earth orbit to fuel up for the long journey ahead.

The video pans over Mars orbit then switches to a from-land view that shows there are total of four ships approaching the planet, leaving bright tails behind them. After a perfect landing, the doors of the rocket open and four astronauts gaze at the domed habitat in the middle of the human settlement seemingly flourishing on the Red Planet.

In February 2022, Musk detailed his vision of the future of space travel and of humans becoming an inter-planetary species. His ambitious goal envisions the creation of a colony on Mars, an insurance coverage, he said, where humanity would be protected from existential dangers on Earth. Starship is capable of doing that, Musk said. Its capable of getting a million tonnes to the surface of Mars and creating a self-sustaining city and I think we should try to do that as soon as we can.

The critical threshold for Mars is to have a city that is self-sustaining, he continued, recognising the difficulty of the ambition and even acknowledging that if any ingredient is missing, however minor it may be, the city would die out. If Earth stops sending shuttles to Mars, Musk envisioned, a colony on the Red Planet could be in jeopardy.

A few months later, SpaceXs chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell announced that people will reach Mars by the end of the decade, within 5 or 6 years to be more precise. While the company has ambitious plans, two start-ups have partnered to beat Musk to Mars, pledging a trip in 2024.

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Red Earth – Film Threat

Director Georg Koszulinskis experimental film Red Earth takes viewers several hundred years into the future. In the year 2492, Mars has been colonized, and the first results of terraforming are beginning to emerge. While Earth had been hell-bent on self-destruction for centuries, a war between Earth and Mars finished the job, rendering our home planet into a blasted, inhospitable wasteland. The conflict began when it became clear that Martian planetary ethics were evolving to be more mindful of the environment. In contrast, Earths conviction was that Martian settlers were there for no reason other than exploiting Martian resources and supporting the home planet.

The story spans three generations with interwoven first-person narratives of a single-family participating in the Martian Colonization Project. The eldest is activist Earth scientist Telos (Mark Evans), who gets his daughter Kasei (Christina Leidel) onto a colony ship. She settles on Mars and becomes a revolutionary in the rebellion against Earth. In turn, her son Thomas (Matt Devine) is one of the first Martians to return and take stock of the war damage on Earth. Theres another character off-screen, Ursa Harriot, a historian and scribe who is quoted in text cards from a fictional history of the rebellion called Tractatus Mars.

The thing about experimental film is that, by definition, the style is going to defy normal expectations of film structure. Its important to go in knowing that and not be too put off by choices like a lack of script/dialogue, a non-linear narrative, an unusual visual presentation, or a soundtrack designed to evoke anxiety. The cinematography is primarily darkened, reddish landscapes, shots of the faces of the actors, and futuristic sequences of images distorted by digital noise. Red Earth employs all of these variations on normal cinema themes.

rendering our home planet into a blasted, inhospitable wasteland

For this film, also, a viewer needs to be comfortable with anti-capitalist, aggressively pro-environmental views. These positions play well in this context, taking our current apathy toward global warming and global wealth gap disparities to their logical conclusions over time. Given that we may well achieve the ability to travel to Mars in the next century or so, its not much of a reach to suggest that Mars colonists might not want to become the new world coal miners for a corrupt, fading Earth hegemony. The website supporting Red Earth mentions that it takes place in the late Anthropocene era. Thats another kind of final warning to us here on the (for now) blue planet Anthropocene is a way to describe the time during which humans have had sufficient technology to inflict a substantial impact on the planet. Its also a way to suggest our time will one day pass as the defining characteristic of a geological age is that it ends at some point.

Red Earth is a jarring film experience, flouting narrative and structure rules, as well as breaking the show, dont tell rule by having most of the salient information conveyed in narrated voice-overs and in the Tractatus Mars text excerpts displayed on the screen. Theres little to no action, no interaction, and a lot of speechifying. In the context of the film as a language, this one needs more verbs.

That said, its worth taking a spin on Red Earth if you think of it as a meditation on the life of our planet. Its a parable about what could happen to us if we dont turn aside from the industrial greed thats rapidly moving our ecosystem toward being uninhabitable. The irony in the backlash coming from Mars is that the way well get there is going to be based on that same capitalist push for more for the rich and less for everyone else. What if your workers do, finally, seize the means of production and then turn your home planet into a hostile desert to stop you from ruining theirs?

For more screening information, visit the Red Earth official website.

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