This 53-minute episode of NOVA can be a useful supplement to educators' lesson plans about Mars - or a fascinating introduction for anyone interested by the Red Planet. First aired on August 1, 2012, the beautifully produced episode explores whether it is possible for humans to survive a trip to Mars and back - a destination that could take up to three years to reach. Along the way, astronauts would face runs ins with meteorites, bone and muscle deterioration, and cosmic radiation, among other perils. Over the course of the episode, host Neil Degrasse Tyson interviews leading scientists who are inventing new ways for humans to survive long journeys in space, and who believe that, ultimately, we will find a way to send human beings to other planets.