Given NASA's prominence in pop culture, you'd think that there'd be a whole host of TV shows based around its exploits. But the real number is a lot smaller than you'd think, especially considering how many times the agency pops up in movies. Even then, the bulk of the series focus on the golden age of the space race, like The Astronaut Wives Club and From the Earth to the Moon. You have to go back to 1996's The Cape before you reach a NASA show that actually depicted present-day astronauts.

CBS picked up my TV show pilot! Working with Aditya Sood again (producer of "The Martian") again. Should be fun! :) https://t.co/9EqCcZGF1P — Andy Weir (@andyweirauthor) January 17, 2017

Hopefully the show will help to reignite the public's interest in space exploration and science in general. After all, given the attitude of some people these days, NASA could do with all the help it can get.