'Mars': The Epic National Geographic Channel Miniseries in Pictures

First Human Mission to Mars

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

In National Geographic's new "Mars" series, humans step foot on the Red Planet for the first time. The series premieres Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. EST in the U.S. and internationally Nov. 13 on the National Geographic Channel. Watch the trailer here.

The Daedalus

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

This is the Daedalus — the spaceship that transports the crew from Earth to Mars. It is named after the inventor and craftsman of Greek mythology.

One small step for man...

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

Getting to Mars is one thing, but surviving and thriving on the Red Planet prove to be a whole other endeavor for the first Mars crew. Pictured here: astronaut Robert Foucault (played by actor Sammi Rotibi) walks on Mars in his protective spacesuit.

Daedalus' Flight Deck

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

The Daedalus crew is seated in a circular flight deck during takeoff and landing.

Daedalus Control Console

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

The view of the Daedalus flight deck from behind the main control console.

Crew Quarters

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

A view of the mid-deck inside the Daedalus shows the crew quarters and dining area. This is where they spend their time during the long journey to the Red Planet.

Sleeping En Route to Mars

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

For the 209-day journey to Mars, the crew sleeps in bunk beds inside the Daedalus spaceship.

Main Corridor

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

The main corridor of the Daedalus spaceship.

A Rough Landing

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

Commander Ben Sawyer (played by actor Ben Cotton) struggles to reach the hardware that controls the ship's landing gear in a nail-biting scene from the first episode of "Mars."

First Doctor on Mars

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

Health care professionals are crucial to have onboard the first human mission to Mars. Pictured here, French astronaut and doctor Amelie Durand (played by Clementine Poidatz) performs a health exam.

Daedalus Lands Off Course

National Geographic Channels/Robert Viglasky

A satellite view shows the Daedalus' landing site on Mars. The crew landed farther away from Base Camp than planned.

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Hanneke Weitering
Contributing expert

Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos.