Becoming Martian

Humans appear to be on the cusp of reaching Mars, but the path to the Red Planet has been more than a century in the making. First Steps to Mars traces a remarkable chain of innovation linking visionary inventor Nikola Tesla, early twentieth century rocketry, the weaponized missile programs of World War II, and the high stakes rivalry of the Cold War space race. What began as bold scientific theory evolved into powerful rockets capable of escaping Earth’s gravity and setting humanity on a trajectory toward another world.

Becoming Martian explores how decades of robotic exploration by NASA transformed Mars from a distant point of light into a tangible destination. Orbiters mapped its surface, landers sampled its soil, and rovers uncovered evidence of ancient water and potentially habitable conditions. Each mission built on the last, turning science fiction into engineering reality. Blending history, technology, and future vision, the film reveals how humanity’s dream of becoming a multi planetary species is closer than ever to becoming real.