A NASA veteran of over 30 years, ex-astronaut Story Musgrave also serves as consultant to the film. Drawing upon hours of his spacewalking experience, such as repairing and servicing the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, Musgrave is providing expertise in film scenes shot within sound stages that picture zero-g live aboard a Mars-bound spaceship. Body movements of actors have been carefully orchestrated to show the beauty and instant grace of micro-gravity, Musgrave said.

Specially designed cables and harnesses hooked to the actors help mimic the zero gravity environment within one area of a spaceship in transit to Mars. Visual effects specialists will later take out the cables during final production to produce the free-floating feel of space. "In my opinion, this is the best zero-g ever created on Earth or in space. I think this is the most beautiful stuff ever done," Musgrave said. "The set is big, beautiful, and detailed," Musgrave said. "Technically, they have really done their homework."

*** Additional Notes ***

"Mission to Mars": Directed by Brian De Palma, starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen and Jerry O'Connell opens March 10, 2000. Story has appearances during the space station scenes of this science fiction thriller.