NASA Valkyrie -- The Journey to Mars

Writer I Creative Director I Executive Producer

Digital Documentary Shorts Series
Production Design
Art Direction
Trailers
Teasers
Decks
Partner Engagement


Overview
When Edinburgh Centre of Robotics entered into a collaboration with NASA Johnson Space Center sought to humanise one of its most ambitious robotic missions — the humanoid companion robot Valkyrie, built to assist astronauts on the nine-month journey to Mars — they turned to us.
We were engaged to lead the creative strategy, narrative development and delivery of a four-part documentary series chronicling the unprecedented international collaboration between NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics. Our goal: to translate one of NASA’s most technically complex undertakings into a human story of vision, risk, and next-gen innovation.

The Work
Our creative and production team were embedded with leading AI scientists, roboticists, and NASA engineers to shape and deliver a cinematic documentary series for public and professional audiences. The work required direct engagement with NASA's senior executive team, including confidential C-suite briefings and technical access under tight restrictions.

Execution
--Narrative development across four episodic arcs, structured to align with NASA’s internal comms needs, public science education goals, and festival distribution standards.

--Creative direction for all visual language, marrying high-contrast documentary cinematography with speculative sci-fi references to signal the future-now themes of the mission.

--Filming under strict access limits, achieving multi-camera coverage in an active robotics lab with a minimal crew due to sensitivity of the site and prototype Valkyrie units.

--Integrated visual storytelling, including motion graphics sequences to communicate AI cognition and sensor logic to non-technical audiences.

--High-profile contributor interviews, including Dr. Robert Ambrose (NASA Head of Gamechanging Technology), and key Johnson Space Center leadership.

--Creative parallelism with contemporary performance — filming with renowned dancer Akram Khan to explore mirrored processes of human and robotic motion, learning, and recall.

--Coordination with global media outlets, including BBC and ITV, whose news coverage overlapped directly with our documentation days.

--Cinematic trailer & teaser suite for multi-channel deployment, including Edinburgh Science Festival, institutional screenings, and NASA internal comms.


Results
--Reach (print + digital): 238,000

--Live Audience Reach (screenings: events, festivals, STEM networks, exhibitions): 2.1 million

--ROI: 4
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--Used in: NASA internal comms, Edinburgh Centre for Robotics outreach, inter-agency education, public science programming


Distribution highlights
--Featured at Edinburgh Science Festival

--Installed at the National Museum of Scotland's flagship 'Robots' exhibition (2019)

--Used in STEM engagement campaigns and science innovation showcases


NASA Valkyrie Press & Media Coverage
--Featured in: BBC News, ITV Science Bulletin, The Scotsman, The Herald

--Broadcast segments: BBC Radio Scotland, BBC World Service (Science Hour)

--Social media engagement: NASA STEM accounts, ECR networks, Edinburgh Science Festival