Experiential Point 5 - Read ‘The Martian’
Ryan Le - 934001124
The Martian, a story about creativity and resilience, is about a man who survives after
being stuck on Mars. The book revolves around Mark Watney, an astronaut who was left behind
his crew after a dust storm. Left alone in an unknown environment, Watney uses his background
in the sciences to survive such a harsh situation. He uses his creativity to find a way to grow
food, get clean water, and even communicate back with NASA. The book is a great story about
resilience in times when it is needed.
Similar to Interstellar, one of the greatest things about The Martian is its attempt to
remain realistic. Watney grows potatoes in Martian soil enriched with human waste as fertilizer,
something that could realistically happen. The only unrealistic thing about this part is how
infertile the Martian soil likely is. Watney also burns hydrogen and oxygen to produce water,
something that could realistically happen, albeit very dangerous.
The technology in The Martian closely mirrors advancements already in development.
Solar panels provide Watney with a renewable energy source, a practical choice given the
abundance of sunlight on Mars. His habitat, or "Hab," represents a plausible design for a Martian
base, equipped with systems for life support, temperature regulation, and oxygen production.
Furthermore, the rover Watney uses for transportation resembles real designs being considered
for future Mars missions, showcasing how existing technologies could be adapted for such
scenarios. However, the ease with which he modifies these systems sometimes oversimplifies the
technical challenges involved.
One of the novel’s less realistic elements is the timeline of Watney’s rescue. The time it
takes for them to save Watney is much shorter than what it would take in reality. The
complexities of interplanetary travel, combined with the distances between Earth and Mars,
would make such a rapid response impossible with our current technology. A rescue mission
could require years of preparation and execution. It would also likely take Watney much more
infrastructure to produce food for a long amount of time.
Despite these inaccuracies, The Martian is still a great depiction of what survival on Mars
could look like. It shows the possibility of extraplanetary colonization, but also the challenges
that come with it. Watney’s survival shows the importance of being calm in unknown
environments and using whatever skills you may need to use your advantage to survive. The
book may become increasingly more important as NASA starts to aim for colonizing Mars and
the Moon.
References
Bradley, T. (2015, December 21). Author of “the martian” talks about the science behind the
book. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2015/12/21/author-of-the-martian-talks-about-t
he-science-behind-the-book/
