4/5 The difficulties & possible consequences of mission to Mars
  by Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
There is no doubt in my mind that humans will some day walk on the surface of Mars. While it is largely inhospitable to human life, it is the planet that is closest to providing an environment like that of Earth. While it is much farther away than the moon, the presence of an atmosphere, gravity closer to that of Earth, abundant water and raw materials for building shelters means that it would probably be easier to establish a colony there than on the moon. There is also the mystery about why Mars took the development path that it did. The evidence that there was once flowing water on the surface is very strong and it appears that the Martian environment was once much more like that of Earth.
This tape, effectively narrated by Patrick Stewart, is an explanation of the difficulties of launching an expedition to Mars. There are many dangers; the long-term effects of being in interplanetary space are unknown. Solar flares could unleash deadly radiation, the lack of gravity could lead to a serious loss of bone density and muscle weakness and the psychological stresses could prove unbearable. Nevertheless, as one commentator points out, there are over 50,000 people who would volunteer to go tomorrow. Even if they were told that the odds were only 50-50 that they would survive, they would still volunteer to go.
This is a demonstration of that overpowering human urge to explore new territories and seek out new challenges.
I enjoyed watching the tape; it fires the imagination and stirs the soul of all who strive to achieve greatness. The establishment of a human colony on Mars will be a very expensive endeavor. However, when you consider how much is wasted on armaments and how human achievement unifies the human species, it will probably end up being a bargain in the long run. Also, few people realize that if all the benefits that society obtained from the Apollo mission to the moon was factored in, then the program was immensely profitable. Technological spin-offs, such as the dramatic shrinking in the size of electronic components, have paid for the program many times over. There is no reason to believe that a program to land on Mars would be any different.

5/5 Dazzling!
  by Daniel (Vancouver)
This movie combines the excitement of space travel with the aw of astronomy, and the passion for space flight which fuels the search for more knowledge. The part with the astronauts are also very interesting and I would recommend this movie to any person interested in space!

4/5 Hasn't Dated Much Since It Was Made In The '90s
  by MATTHEW BLACK (Auckland, New Zealand.)
I'm glad to say that the full six episodes of this fine series are finally available, **though not on the first 1x disc edition of this release**, which is now unavailable. Seek out the re-release. There have been many documentary series done on the subject of space exploration over the years. But few have done it better or covered all bases like 'Space Age'. Producer Greg Andorfer and writer Gary Hines are to be commended for creating a series that will not date very quickly and will inspire people to look to space with fresh eyes. It was a real coup to get one of Science Fiction's leading lights to narrate and present the series. Real space uses fantasy space to take back some of its' turf! Patrick Stewart has one of the most beautiful voices in the English-speaking world. His narration is clear, enthusiastic and endlessly engaging. The writing is concise and refreshingly clear of technobabble and the use of special effects and music is slick and competent. Archive space footage from the 1950s to the 1990s are of excellent quality. And one thing is made abundantly clear: We need series like 'Space Age' to help turn mankind away from the insular, navel-gazing flat-Earth tendencies and to help focus us toward a better future. The exploration and eventual colonisation of space has been budget-strangled and hobbled by political ignorance for too long. As the first episode of this series clearly shows: MARS AWAITS!