"One Strange Rock," a new National Geographic TV series that explores the wonders of planet Earth from a cosmic perspective, will be hosted by none other than award-winning actor Will Smith.
The star of several hit movies and TV shows like "Men in Black" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" will narrate the 10-part series, which is scheduled to premiere in March of 2018. Smith made the official announcement on Facebook yesterday (Dec. 5).
"With Smith guiding viewers on an epic journey across the globe and into outer space, 'One Strange Rock' promises to be a thrilling, mind-bending trip within and beyond planet Earth, affirming that there really is no place like home," a spokesperson for National Geographic said in a statement. [Earth from Space: Amazing Astronaut Photos]
"'One Strange Rock' is the extraordinary story of Earth — our curiously calibrated, interconnected planet — and why it is special and uniquely brimming with life among a largely unknown but harsh cosmic arena," the statement said. "Anchoring the series is an elite group of astronauts who see Earth's bigger picture; they provide unique perspectives and relate personal memoirs of our planet seen from space."
One of those astronauts, the European Space Agency's Paolo Nespoli, is shooting footage for "One Strange Rock" aboard the International Space Station. Using a Vuze VR camera that was shipped to the ISS in November, Nespoli is filming a tour of the space station and documenting a day in the life of an astronaut.
Other astronauts featured on the show include Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian astronaut to command the International Space Station; Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space; and NASA's record-shattering astronaut Peggy Whitson.
Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
