NASA eventually discovers that Watney is alive when satellite images of the landing site show evidence of his activities; NASA personnel begin devising ways to rescue him, but withhold the news of his survival from the rest of the Ares 3 crew, on their way back to Earth aboard the Hermes spacecraft, so as not to ...

How did Mark survive in The Martian?

In the story, Watney's botany skills help him survive the ordeal. He uses the potatoes NASA packed for his Mars expedition along with his own feces and manages to grow potatoes in a small farm inside the Hab. Also, his knowledge of chemistry allows him to make water, which he uses to irrigate the potatoes.

Do they rescue Mark in The Martian?

The Hermes returned to Mars and rescued Mark 564 Earth days after The Martian's original mission began.

Could Mark Watney survive?

However, many studies done, and much of scientific research would suggest that Mark Watney could not have survived alone on Mars waiting for the Hermes to rescue him because the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive effects of isolation on an individual are too significant.

What happened to Mark Watney after The Martian?

After returning to Earth, Watney becomes a survival instructor for astronaut candidates. Five years later, as the Ares V is about to launch, those involved in Watney's rescue are seen in their current lives.

NASA Scientists Fact-Check “The Martian"

How long did Mark Watney survive?

Mark Watney was on Mars for 549 sols, which comes out to about 564 days. (A Martian sol is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day.) So, approximately 18 months. A bloody long time to be alone, particularly given that he only had human contact from sol 96 when he got Pathfinder working to sol 196 when he fried it.

Does Mark get back to Earth in The Martian?

The Rich Purnell Maneuver was a trajectory course for the Hermes proposed and calculated by astrodynamicist Rich Purnell. Using the Earth's gravity as a slingshot, it sent the Hermes back to Mars to save Mark Watney before returning home to Earth once more.

Do all the crew survive in The Martian?

Back on Earth, NASA Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) holds a press conference to announce that while the Hermes crew succeeded in leaving Mars, Mark Watney was lost, and he is declared dead.

What did Mark Watney eat to survive?

It's made very clear that a potato only diet would sustain you for longer than nothing, but you wouldn't be healthy. Mark had 400 days of rations as well, which he spread out to supplement his potato diet. He also had a lot of vitamins and other supplements to help with his nutrition.

Did Mark Watney get radiation poisoning?

"The Martian" hero Mark Watney survived all that the Red Planet threw at him, including frigid temperatures, unbreathable air and relatively high radiation levels.

What did Mark eat The Martian?

Andy Weir, author of The Martian, shares the food Mark Watney most craved on Mars—and why potatoes made the ideal crop.

Does The Martian have an alternate ending?

In the original e-book, it had another ending scene than the one that was published. Watney finished his two slices of pizza and a coke. He had another half-hour to kill before going back to Johnson Space Center. Leaving the pizzeria, he sat on a public bench just outside.

Will there be a sequel to The Martian?

After over a decade since the original novel's release, a sequel has been written. This time, nuclear disaster has struck Earth, leaving one sole survivor: a student at Columbia. Shockingly, the only food remaining is a stock of Chef Mike's sandwiches.

Why couldn't Mark grow potatoes in The Martian?

When Airlock 1 breached, causing a gaping hole in The Hab, the potatoes were freeze dried and the bacteria in the soil assumed dead. Because of this Mark was unable to grow any more potatoes and could only eat the ones he still had with him.

What do potatoes represent in The Martian?

In this way, the potatoes symbolize the tenacity of life, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

How many potatoes did Matt Damon eat in The Martian?

One of the keys to Watney's survival is twelve fresh potatoes sent with the astronauts to Mars for a Thanksgiving meal during their trip. He uses those 12 potatoes to grow more potatoes, which, when combined with vitamin pills and rations, keep him alive for a year and a half (549 sols to be precise).

How many calories was Mark Watney eating?

Mark was consuming approximately 1500 calories a day. He says while doing the math for his potato farm: “For my height and weight, if I'm willing to starve a little, I'll need 1500 calories a day.”

How long can you survive on potatoes?

Yes, potatoes provide all of the nutrients required to live a healthy and active life. There are numerous accounts of people going on potato only diets any where from two months to a full year with resulting improvements in health markers and often weight loss.

Is Mars soil poisonous?

Martian soil is toxic, due to relatively high concentrations of perchlorate compounds containing chlorine. Elemental chlorine was first discovered during localised investigations by Mars rover Sojourner, and has been confirmed by Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity.

What The Martian gets wrong?

Factual errors

Due to Mars' low atmospheric pressure, the effective wind pressure in martian wind storms is much lower than shown in the movie, very unlikely to be sufficient to tip a spacecraft. Also, the wind on Mars is much too weak to carry large rocks.

Why haven't they told the crew he's alive yet in The Martian?

Sanders decides not to tell them Watney is alive just yet; he believes that could distract them from their return voyage duties. On Mars, Watney takes initiative and drives his rover to an old Pathfinder mission site, where he unearths the vehicle and finds it still works.

Why did the crew leave Mark Watney on Mars?

Though they search as much as possible before the storm becomes too intense to escape, the last reading from Watney's suit biometrics system indicates his vitals are zero, and ultimately the rest of the crew are forced to leave, believing he's dead.

How did Mark get water in The Martian?

In “The Martian,” Damon's character, astronaut Mark Watney, produces water by burning leftover rocket fuel and extracts the hydrogen from the resulting chemical reaction.

How did Mark Watney survive the accident?

Mark Watney survived the accident because the antena and blood sealed the suit when the blood coagulated around the hole stealing most of the suit. After he stumbled to the mars house, he removed the shrapnel and cleaned out the wound to prevent infection, then sealed/closed the wound to prevent losing too much blood.

What caused Mark to lose his ability to communicate with Earth?

As the crew was leaving to enter the MAV, the main satellite dish (connected to the Hab) was torn from the Hab and slammed into Mark. After everyone left Mars, Mark woke up, stitched himself up, and went to look for the dish. It disappeared, which left him stranded on Mars with no communication.