Astronaut Mark Watney vs. Mars

Astronaut Mark Watney, was part Ares 3, a mission to explore the surface of the planet Mars. Astronaut Watney is presumed dead after a sand storm hits the mission’s location. Watney is left to survive on a bunker or HAB, with food that will last 120 days, which is not enough time for a rescue party to land on Mars. Mark has to come up with a way to grow food in martian soil. He succeeds on planting potatoes and fertilizing them with waste. To water his plants, Watney mixes hydrazine and oxygen and then burns them together to create humidity which is then transformed into water by a humidifier. Watney 1, Mars 0

During this process Mark finds a leak and realizes that the HAB is filled with hydrazine and it will blow up any time soon. Mark is forced to leave the HAB, which is now a ticking-time-bomb, and hide in one of the Rover’s, which are small car-like machines. Watney 1, Mars 1

The HAB

“So that is the situation. I’m stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Hermes or Earth. Everyone thinks I’m dead. I’m in a HAB designed to last thirty-one days.”

Just by reading this quote we can guess what kind of person Mark Watney is. Even though he’s chances of survival are extremely slim, he does not give up. He is an extremely optimistic person to keep trying to find ways to survive regardless of his situation. I wouldn’t have had the will to try to survive, I would have given up.

“So, I’m here in Rover 2. I can stay for a day or two, tops, before the 

CO2 filters from the rover and my space suit. I have that long to figure out how to deal with this. The HAB is now a bomb” (Weir 35).

I feel very sorry for Mark Watney. Just try to put yourself in his situation, being abandoned in Mars. Just imagine trying as hard as you can to survive, even succeeding in growing plants in Mars, being so close to survival only to loose all hope of survival because of one small mistake. Personally I would have given up any kind of hope.

Knowing Mark Watney, he will not stop trying to find a way to survive. His engineering and botany skills, combined with his resourceful thinking have allowed him to strive and prolong his days of supplies and resources. I think Mark will find a way to solve the problem that is taking place in the HAB. Mark Watney is no quitter.