Comparing Mark Watney's The Martian And Packing For Mars

Being human comes with baggage that earthbound individuals generally do not consider in their daily lives. This ranges from the need of life essentials, social interaction, and coping with the extreme conditions on another planet or in the void of space. These are the problems that scientist are faced with every day and are constantly discovering answers, but also turn to science fiction for solutions. The Martian and Packing for Mars present issues and new perspectives of space travel, and also gives possible solutions to issues like food and water needs and dealing with others. In The Martian, Mark Watney is stranded on Mars alone with limited food and water. He turns to botany and basic chemistry to survive by creating food and water. Although a work of science fiction, the way he generated food and water is plausible, and most likely achievable for the first settlers on Mars. But how is it possible to grow food on a planet that does not have much nutrients in the soil? We are currently doing it on planet Earth with the Biosphere II. The idea behind the self-sustaining dome was to see if people and biospheres could live without outside contributors. This alludes to Mark Watney’s garden inside the HAB. In theory, both are

A mission to Mars could last over a year, and even an entire person’s lifetime. If an astronaut is not compatible with his/hers crewmates, it could spell disaster for the mission. In chapter two, Roach brings up the argument to whether or not it is better to send couples into space or single individuals. If the couple got into an argument, they understand one another and are more likely to work it out, rather than two individuals getting into a dispute. Roach also mentions what physical attributes an astronaut must possess for them to be easy to live with, whether it be not having bad breath, not getting sick easily, or having