A new documentary film – Passage to Mars — details the Northwest Passage Drive Expedition, a NASA-supported, multi-stage 750-plus kilometer crewed vehicular traverse on land and on sea-ice along the fabled Northwest Passage in the Arctic.
Destination for the expedition: Devon Island in the High Arctic, an otherworldly place known as “Mars on Earth.”
The primary goal of the expedition was to deliver the NASA Haughton-Mars Project’s (HMP) Okarian, a specially modified Humvee to be used on Devon Island as a Mars pressurized rover simulator.
Positive message
This impressive documentary film spotlights scientific objectives in astrobiology, geology, geophysics, planetary protection, climate change, and human Mars exploration studies.
“We wanted to have a record of our expedition on film, create a tool to help promote Humans to Mars, and inspire the next generation of explorers with a positive message,” explains expedition leader, Pascal Lee, planetary scientist at the Mars Institute and the SETI Institute, and director of the HMP at NASA Ames Research Center.
The expedition includes Mars Institute team members Joe Amarualik, John Schutt, and Jesse Weaver. The documentary film crew included award-winning film director Jean-Christophe Jeauffre of Jules Verne Adventures and director of photography Mark Carroll.
Epic odyssey
Passage to Mars is the saga of a crew of six aboard NASA experimental vehicle HMP Okarian, attempting to cross 2,000 miles of Arctic sea-ice to reach NASA outpost on the remote island of Devon – a place on Earth where humans prepare for Mars.

The Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) Research Station is home for field campaigns of international teams of scientists.
Credit: NASA HMP
This unprecedented adventure, planned to last a few weeks, becomes a two-year epic odyssey of hope, fear and survival. Shot on the breathtaking sea ice on Earth, and on Mars, as captured by robots, this true story is a vibrant, thought-provoking hymn to our thirst for discovery.
“Gripping! Captures the truth of exploration! The will to survive against the odds,” says legendary film director, James Cameron.
Opening
The film will premiere in Los Angeles, California at Laemmle Theaters the week of May 31 to June 5, 2016.
Passage to Mars opens May 31at Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, California. All screenings are to be followed with discussion by: Film director Jean-Christophe Jeauffre; NASA Expedition leader Pascal Lee; film crew; and special guests.
Here’s the link to view the screening schedule details and to obtain tickets:
http://www.laemmle.com/films/40657
Watch this impressive trailer for Passage to Mars at:
Waiting to see the film in Mumbai India where I stay.
By profession I am a space journalist and have written four books–of which two are on India’s mission to Mars.