A Summary and Analysis of Andy Weir's The Martian

This is not the actual Ansy Weir's The Martian: A Novel. The primary objective of this book is to bring insightful discussion and critique of Weir’s The Martian to readers everywhere.

Mark Watney, a crew member of the third manned mission to Mars, is stuck in a storm when the mission is formally aborted. The crew returns to the Earth, presuming Watney to be dead and leaving him on Mars. But Watney is alive. Stranded alone on Mars, he has very limited resources. He must use his ingenuity, along with his extensive knowledge of science and engineering, in order to take advantage of the available resources and travel to a site from which he can lift-off the planet. When NASA finds out that Watney is alive, his rescue becomes an international effort.

Watney faces many challenges on Mars, which is not a surprise, considering how different Mars is from the Earth. The diameter of Mars is only about half that of the Earth. Mars retains a very thin atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide (95 percent of the atmosphere). The atmospheric pressure on the surface of Mars is approximately 100 times less than the atmospheric pressure on the surface of the Earth. Surface winds on Mars typically blow at a speed of about 10 kilometers per hour (6 miles per hour). Some wind gusts can reach a speed of 90 kilometers per hour (55 miles per hour). During dust storms, winds on Mars can get very strong, blowing at speeds of hundreds of kilometers (hundreds of miles) per hour. Strong winds lift lots of dust off the surface. The dustcan rise at least 20 to 30 kilometers (from 12 to about 18 miles) into the atmosphere and remain in the air for a few months.

Dust storms can cover surface areas that measure from 320 kilometers (200 miles) to a few thousand kilometers (a few thousand miles) across. Their extent and duration vary from year to year. When local dust storms merge, they can form a single dust storm covering the entire surface of Mars. Global dust storms can last for months. Planet-wide dust storms formed in the Martian atmosphere in 1971 and 2001.

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In this book, you will find a concise and clear summary of the key ideas and facts of Weir’s book, The Martian, as well as a review of credible facts and findings that supplement or contrast with those in Weir’s book.