航向太空

本片是《科学世界》栏目的暑期特别节目，由国外引进，内容涉及天文及太空探索（1集～52集）、地球探秘及动物研究（52集～91集）。
　　Are we ever going to leave this rock we call Earth? National Geographic's Destination Space looks at our prospects for space exploratio n and colonization, starting with Apollo 11 and reporting on 30 years of research and missions. Through archival footage; interviews with astronauts, astronomers, and earthbound folks whose fascination fuels the public's rekindled enthusiasm; and computer graphics modeling the future lives of space travelers, we find a new optimism that is irresistibly infectious. When Neil DeGrasse Tyson talks about sipping a martini while looking down at Earth or Shannon Lucid describes the sheer fun of living weightlessly, it's hard not to smile and wonder what the next generation holds. This confidence is well supported by technological reality; for every Challenger disaster and Mars orbiter loss we've had hundreds of successful but less-reported missions. This literally uplifting video is followed by a shorter but even more hopeful program: A View of Mars. Interviews with NASA administrator Daniel S. Goldin and other boosters, more slick computer graphics, and footage from prior Mars missions make the prospect of imminent exploration and not-too-distant human arrival real and exciting. Even cynics will find themselves ready to pack after viewing. --Rob Lightner