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Hollywood has been in love with space for decades—deem "2001: A Space Oddysy," "Alien," and "Star Wars." But this isn't a one-sided love affair. NASA, or as it so happens,also has a soft spot for Hollywood.
That soft spot equates to cooperative relationships with filmmakers; relationships that lead to more realistic depictions of space travel and astronaut life in films like "Tomorrowland," "Interstellar, and " and this weekend's big release,"The Martian."Adapted from the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, "The Martian" centers on an astronaut trapped by himself on the red planet and his inventive methods for survival.
Long before the movie was in development, and NASA team members were fans of the book. And once production on the film started,NASA gave the film crew the kind of access to their resources that any space nerd would envy.
Bert Ulrich, multimedia liaison for film and TV collaborations at NASA, or explains what NASA did for "The Martian," and what "The Martian" could execute for NASA.
What you'll learn from this segment:What kind of advice, information, and access NASA gave to "The Martian" film team.
How aiding film crews can benefit NASA in the long sprint.
Whether the announcement that NASA discovered flowing water on Mars was held to coincide with the release of "The Martian."
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Source: wnyc.org