News Release
Go behind the scenes of NASA’s historic Mars landing with the national debut of ‘Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice’
PHOENIX MARS MISSION: ONTO THE ICE
[DATE], [TIME] (ET) ON [PUBLIC TELEVISION CHANNEL]
From practice landings and simulations to the real time, heart-pounding "seven minutes of terror" decent onto the planet’s surface, Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice follows Principal Investigator Dr. Peter Smith and the rest of the Phoenix Lander team as they struggle to successfully land an exploratory vehicle on Mars for the first time in over 10 years.
Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice-- a production of Arizona Public Media -- documents the landing and operation of the space vehicle coordinated from the Science Operation Center in Tucson, Ariz., working in conjunction with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo.
Narrated by Peter Thomas (NOVA, Forensic Files),Onto the Ice continues the enthralling story of NASA’s exploration of Mars by following the people responsible for the landing and discovery of water ice just beneath the planet’s surface.
Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice picks up where the last Phoenix Mars Mission documentary left off, just after the exciting launch from Earth. PBS's Phoenix Mars Mission: Ashes to Ice, the first part of this story, captured excitement on a national level in May 2008 by following the team from the creation and construction of the Phoenix Mars Lander to its successful August 2007 launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
The Phoenix Mars Mission series documents the exciting beginningof a new era in the search for signs of life on neighboring planets.
"We spent two years on the frontline of interplanetary discovery filming the amazing Phoenix Mars team," said Tom Kleespie, producer for both Phoenix Mars Mission films, Ashes to Ice and Onto the Ice. "They were the most dedicated, hardworking, professional, passionate and, as you can tell from this program, the most optimistic group of people I have ever encountered."
PHOENIX MARS MISSION: ONTO THE ICE (2009)
RUN TIME: 56:46
Produced and directed by Tom Kleespie. Videographer: Martin Rubio. Editing: Jon Weigand and Steve Bayless. Narration: Peter Thomas. Music: Jonathan Dinerstein. Sound Engineer: Jim Blackwood. Additional Photography: Robert Lindberg. Executive Producer: Jack Gibson. Copyright 2009 by Arizona Public Media.
Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice, is the latest exciting chapter of the story of the historic landing and discovery of ice by the Phoenix Mars Mission. Join Principal Investigator Dr. Peter Smith and the Phoenix Lander team of dedicated scientists, engineers and researchers as they struggle to successfully land a craft on Mars for the first time in a decade. Filmed at the Science Operation Center in Tucson, Arizona, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and Lockeed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado.
About Arizona Public Media
Arizona Public Media® is a member-supported broadcast organization of The University of Arizona, celebrating 50 years of public broadcasting service. Arizona Public Media produces award-winning original programming like The Desert Speaks, Arizona Illustrated and the highly acclaimed Phoenix Mars Missionseries from its digital studios on The University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Ariz. More information on original programming is at Facebook.com/azpublicmedia or via Twitter @azpublicmedia
About American Public Television
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including Spain...on the road Again, Rick Steves' Europe, Worldfocus, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary and Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Liza’s at the Palace…. and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create™ – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
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PRESS CONTACTS:
Steve Delgado, Arizona Public Media
520-621-7358
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