Mars is a planet of superlatives – with the largest canyon and the highest volcano in the solar system. It has always inspired imagination and research. It is the next big goal of space travel.

For Alexander Gerst, the first German commander of the International Space Station ISS, it would be a dream come true to be among the pioneers on Mars. With him, the film sets off on a search for the motives and challenges of a journey to the red planet. “If we were to fly to Mars and actually find traces of life, whether extinct or still existing, it would mean that there istons of life out there,” says Gerst. “That would be one of the most outstanding philosophical events imaginable: to know that we are not alone in the universe.”

International space agencies and private space companies are equipping themselves with new super rockets for the trip to Mars. What is it like to see Mars and its supernatural landscape with your own eyes and to look down on our home planet from up there?

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Luise Wagner     CAMERA & EDITOR: Jonas Sichert     SOUND: Maike Simon     MUSIC: Jens Hafemann     COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Friederike Haedecke (ZDF)