Planet Calleja’s latest experiment fell a little short, and Jesús Calleja pinned his hopes on Mars. He just released the first episode of Mission Mars, a venture that gathers two well known personalities for a cave expedition in Cantabria. The participants are the television host and YouTuber Inés Hernando and the actor Félix Gómez. Dressed in astronaut gear, they will spend several days inside an underground module that simulates the conditions of a real Mars base, offering viewers a glimpse into life far from Earth.
Watching from outside, Lane observed the opening day of the project. The Mars cabin carries a faint memory of reality TV confinement, reminiscent of a well known cabin from a famous production. The show even stages practical jokes aimed at the participants. In one playful moment, the crew sabotages the air conditioner and a public broadcast speaker warns the team to fix it quickly or risk dangerous hypothermia within minutes. A clip previews the next episode, hinting that oxygen stores are running low, the rescue ship has broken down, and the arrival of a replacement not expected for two years. The suspense is exaggerated yet remains firmly in the realm of entertainment, not danger.
These moments come off as lighthearted fun, while still feeling almost cartoonish in their audacity. Even the participants show humor in the situation. Inés Hernando makes a witty remark about the future role of women in space exploration, mused in a way that is more playful than technical. The real interest lies in the discourse around space travel rather than the simulated emergency drills. A dialogue unfolds between Lane and a science advisor, Bernard Foing, an astrophysicist affiliated with the European Space Agency. The interview explores the purpose of lunar and Martian exploration beyond spectacle. Foing asserts that stepping back to the Moon and Mars could spark a new economy, drawing benefits for citizens on Earth, and hints at the emergence of a new civilization. The commentary lands with emotional weight, inviting viewers to consider the broader meaning behind a reality show concept.
Several months earlier, a media colleague wrote about a book piece from the Prensa Ibérica group and Leticia Blanco of El Periódico de Catalunya. The discussion centers on Douglas Rushkoff as author and his controversial take on how a small elite of billionaires believes Earth may be reaching its limits. The piece sketches a scenario in which wealthy figures seek a pristine extraterrestrial habitat to preserve their wealth and lifestyle. Names like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk appear as symbols of that impulse. The underlying critique is sharp: those who dream of escaping a fragile planet are often the same individuals who contribute to its environmental stress. The tension between innovation and responsibility becomes a persistent thread in the conversation about space exploration and wealth inequality, an issue that resonates across audiences in both North America and Europe.