Superstar astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the Ares' mission to Mars in this superb promotional video for director Ridley Scott's "The Martian." As the host of the fictional, "Cosmos"-like "Startalk," he characterizes the story of Ares as "our greatest adventure."

Based on the 2011 novel by Andy Weir, the film stars Matt Damon as astronaut Mark Watney, who during a manned mission to Mars is presumed dead and left behind by his crew. Struggling to survive with only meager supplies, Watney manages to get a signal to Earth, leading NASA to search for a way to bring “the Martian” home, even as his own crew hatches a daring — and seemingly impossible — rescue plan.

Opening Oct. 2, “The Martian” also stars Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Donald Glover.