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Questions tagged [the-martian]

A science fiction novel by Andy Weir framed as the journal of Mark Watney as he attempts to survive alone on Mars after being abandoned there in an emergency. In 2015 it was adapted into a film starring Matt Damon.

32 votes
3 answers
6k views

In "The Martian", did the Hermes leave immediately or wait for awhile?

The film "The Martian" opens with the expedition ending early due to a dust storm - the crew evacuates to orbit and their mothership, the Hermes. The Hermes then departs for Earth, and after quite ...
Harper - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

What did Mark add to the soil after putting potatoes in at 24:10 in The Martian?

After putting potatoes into the soil Mark poured some yellowish liquid into the soil. What was that liquid and why did he do it?
user95758's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
308 views

Dates For Events Not Mentioned in the Martian book/movie

I know the original dates etc for the Ares III mission because of the movie promo stuff but when their plans got messed up because of Watney being left behind does anyone know the dates (even rough ...
Laughing.Thalia's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why does the book The Martian mention the cubs, the beatles, and Three's Company?

In the story the author asks how the Cubs are doing, has Mark watch Three's Company, and forces the Beatles upon him. Why is that?
user90281's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
951 views

Could the original executive officer in The Expanse (s1e1) be referencing Mark Watney in The Martian? [closed]

I've been following a great series called The Expanse recently. I was showing the show to a friend and we started it from the beginning, There's a scene in the very first episode where the main ...
Bradley Wilson's user avatar
55 votes
2 answers
23k views

Are "The Expanse" and "The Martian" set in the same universe?

There is a passage from Babylon's Ashes, the sixth novel in James S.A. Corey's The Expanse series, which references a ship called "Mark Watney" (bold emphasis mine, italic author's): In the middle ...
Gallifreyan's user avatar
  • 20.6k
20 votes
4 answers
9k views

Why didn't Hermes drop the supply probe on Mars?

Why didn't the Hermes just drop the resupply payload (after taking out what they needed to survive, of course) onto Mars somewhere near the Ares III site? This would've been safer for Watney and would'...
Benjamin's user avatar
  • 758
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why Sol 18 instead of Sol 6?

I understand that the movie had to change and remove some things from the book in order to make it interesting and well paced and visually nice to look at, for example cutting out the sandstorm and ...
Laughing.Thalia's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

The members of Ares 1,2 and 4 (or 5) crews?

In The Martian the whole story is about the Ares 3 crew, and we know from the book and movie that on the next mission (which I believe was a delayed by 2 years because their MAV was destroyed), Ares 4,...
Laughing.Thalia's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
6k views

The Martian �� what happened to all the video log recordings?

Throughout his stay on Mars, Watney keeps an extensive collection of video logs of his activities using the various cameras at his disposal. The Hab and Rover also have continuous monitoring systems. ...
Santa's user avatar
  • 163
5 votes
2 answers
768 views

The hab has an exterior sweep searchlight running 24/7 - what's up with that?

In the movie - when Watney is recovering after being left behind and drilled by the antenna - he's laying in his bunk moping. Or thinking. Or both. And you can see every couple of seconds the ...
davidbak's user avatar
  • 1,777
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

The Martian: How did they get there?

In The Martian, we see the MARV for getting off Mars, which was sent months ahead of time, where is the lander they came in on and how did all the equipment (HAB, Rovers....) get there? We do not see ...
user73080's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why did Dr. Chris Beck travel around the exterior of the Hermes?

The Martian movie obviously had a lot of thought put into it, to make it (more) realistic. But one thing vexes me. Why did Dr. Chris Beck travel around the outside of the Hermes in order to get from ...
Andrew Thompson's user avatar
73 votes
3 answers
11k views

Why does Watney’s notebook in The Martian have four holes?

I just watched The Martian again and noticed something I missed the first time: Watney's notebook has four holes (instead of three) punched in the left margin, which means it's probably A4 in size (...
crmdgn's user avatar
  • 1,699
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why did Mark remove the heat shield and escape hatches from the MAV?

In the movie version of The Martian, Mark Watney pre-blows the escape hatches and removes the heat shield from the Aries IV MAV. What were the benefits of doing this compared to simply leaving the ...
fluffy's user avatar
  • 385

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