Is The Martian based on a true story?

Is The Martian based on a true story?

7 tweets from people who just realized 'The Martian' isn't based on a true story. ... But the stranding of astronaut Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon) on Mars is fiction.

Is Mark Watney a real person?

OK, I admit, Mark Watney is not a real person, and being stranded on Mars is not enviable, even if it means you get to be played by Matt Damon. In The Martian, the astronaut is left on the planet after a manned mission gone wrong. ... In fact, if Watney was based on any one person, it would be Weir himself.

How many days did Mark Watney survive on Mars?

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.

What did Mark Watney do on Mars?

2) Watney grows potatoes in the Martian soil by using human excrement as fertilizer. Watney and his miraculous potato friends. Watney's botany knowledge comes in handy when he realizes that the crew left behind a drawer of potatoes, meant to be a Thanksgiving treat.

Could you really grow potatoes on Mars?

Experiments here on Earth have found successful germination of plants in both Moon and Mars soil simulants. ... So Watney could safely fertilise his potatoes with the nitrates and other elements present in the crew's waste that are in low supply in the Martian soil.

How much do astronauts get paid?

The pay grades for civilian astronauts are GS-11 through GS-14, based on academic achievements and experience. Currently, a GS-11 astronaut starts at $64,724 per year; a GS-14 astronaut can earn up to $141,715 in annual salary [source: NASA].

What type of scientist is Watney?

Watney is an astronaut and the botanist of the Ares III mission to Mars when a storm strikes and the crew thinks he is dead.

What does Watney grow on Mars?

In The Martian, potatoes are successfully harvested after 48 sols (a Martian solar day – 24 hours 39 minutes long), but the success of the venture does not last: Watney's potato-growing is put to an abrupt end as the front of his habitat blows off, exposing his entire crop to the Martian air.

What does sol mean in the film The Martian?

One solar day Keeping time on Mars One solar day on Mars, called a "sol," is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day, according to the Planetary Society. Watney measures the time he spends stranded on Mars not in days but in "sols," which is how NASA keeps track of time on Mars in real life.

How many hours are in a Mars sol?

24 hours How long is a day and year on Mars? Mars is a planet with a very similar daily cycle to the Earth. Its sidereal day is 24 hours, 37 minutes and 22 seconds, and its solar day 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds. A Martian day (referred to as “sol”) is therefore approximately 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth.

How old is Mark Watney?

• Mark Richard Watney (born Octo) is an astronaut. He is one of the six members of the Ares III, the third manned mission to Mars .

Who is Mark Watney in the Martian?

• Portrayed by. Mark Richard Watney (born Octo) is an astronaut. He is one of the six members of the Ares III, the third manned mission to Mars.

Is Watney optimistic about his situation?

• However, Watney is a comical and optimistic man who never lets the situation get the best of him. In 2035, the crew of the Ares III manned mission to Mars is exploring the Acidalia Planitia on Martian solar day (sol) 18 of their 31-sol expedition.

What happened to Mark Watney in space station?

• A sandstorm forces them to return to their orbiting vessel Hermes. During the evacuation, astronaut Mark Watney is struck by debris and lost in the storm; the last telemetry from his suit indicates no life signs. With the remaining crew in peril, mission commander Melissa Lewis gives the order to launch without him.