Test Warp to Mars
After escaping the Ultra-Menace Missile, the Star Force takes off from Earth and passes the Moon orbit. A Gamilon aircraft carrier is dispatched to intercept Earth's newest space battleship. In order to provide time for the Star Force prepare for their first-ever space warp, Wildstar takes a detachment of Black Tiger space fighters out to intercept the Gamilon carrier. Wildstar's efforts provide the needed time, and once the fighters are back onboard, the warp is initiated just as Gamilon missiles nearly reach it. The warp takes the Star Force from the Moon to Mars, however some damage is sustained during the transition. Avatar orders the Argo to land on Mars for repairs, while the crew takes the opportunity to play in a Martian snowstorm. On Gamilon, Leader Desslok praises the Star Force's determination to get to Iscandar even by such dangerous means as warp travel. Earth has 362 days left.
Aired 27/10/1974EP 4 - Test Warp to Mars
Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar
In the distant future, the war between the human race and the Gamilon has taken its toll on the planet Earth. Constant bombardment of radioactive asteroids has rendered the planet's atmosphere uninhabitable. As a means of relief aid, Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar offers the Earth Forces a device that can completely neutalize the radiation off the planet. For this task, the space battleship Yamato is launched from the remains of its World War II ancestor on a 148,000 light-year journey. However, the crew of the Yamato has only one Earth year to travel to Iscandar and back, or the human race will come to an end.
(Source: Anime News Network)