Tom Schwartz Recalls the Moment He Felt Like He Was on ‘Another Planet’ During ‘Stars on Mars’ Production

usmagazine.com:

Tom Schwartz and his Stars on Mars castmates didn’t actually leave Earth for the Fox reality show, but he still felt like he’d gone to outer space.“The moment I felt like we were actually on another planet the most was when we had to go out and we had to erect the communication tower and reattach the satellites and everything,” the Vanderpump Rules star, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the show’s Monday, June 26, episode. “There was a full-blown dust storm, and we had it in our mouth — like we couldn’t breathe.

It was chaotic. That moment in particular, I truly felt like I was on another planet. They did a great job of creating, you know, a realistic environment.”Schwartz is one of 12 celebrities competing on the series, which debuted earlier this month.

The contestants participate in various challenges designed to simulate a mission to Mars to see who can survive the longest on the Red Planet.While producers couldn’t actually send the show’s stars to Mars, they at least tried to replicate the look of the planet by filming the show in Coober Pedy, Australia.

Located in the state of South Australia, the remote town is known for its red deserts and opal mines.“The whole experience was almost like psychedelic — otherworldly,” Schwartz told Us. “It’s about as close to Mars as you can find on planet Earth.