The reality is always more mundane.

They showed supposed UI from Pathfinder displays image blocks of varying sizes in random locations then zooms them all to the right place. It makes a nice effect for the uninitiated, but I have trouble understanding why a computer would act like that.

You can see that the real NASA uses fvwm and xv to display images from Mars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Au-S-tjyiU&feature=youtu.be...