a decade after the release and a decade away from the world that ‘The Martian” envisions.
Andy Weir bestselling story”
The Martian” predicts that NASA will have three times landed humans on Mars by 2035, perfected return to Earth flight systems and collaborated China National Space Administration. We are now 10 Years past the
Hollywood adaptation’s release in 2015 is 10 years behind its fictional timeline. Mars exploration is a little different now than it was in “The Martian,” as there are more discoveries and controversy.
I am a planetary geologist (19459052) who works on NASA missions to study Mars. I follow exploration science closely. In 2010, the
The U.S. National Space Policy (19459052) set goals for human exploration of Mars in 2030. But in 2017, the
White House Space Policy Directive 1 (19459052) shifted NASA’s attention to returning first to the Moon, under what would become The
Artemis program .
However,
Concepts of crewed missions on Mars have gained popularity.
NASA’s plans to land humans on Mars are still fragile. Over the past 10 years, robotic missions, not crewed ones, have been the ones that have propelled human discovery and imagination forward.
NASA
Robotic discovery
Satellites and rovers are changing the way scientists view Mars. They have revealed countless new insights into the climate changes over time.
As Earth’s neighbor, climate changes on Mars reflect solar system processes that affected Earth at a period when life first took hold. Mars has thus become a focal place for the investigation of the age-old questions of ”
Where are we from? “” and ”
Are we alone?
Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance have driven dozens miles to study layered rock formations which serve as a record for Mars’ past. Planetary geologists have uncovered a story of environmental change on Mars that dwarfs the current state of Earth.
Mars used to be a world with erupting volcanic eruptions, glaciers and lakes, and flowing rivers, a similar environment to early Earth. Then, the core cooled down, its magnetic field faltered, and its atmosphere drifted off. Since then, the exposed surface of the planet has shown signs of these processes in the form landscape patterns, sequences and layers of sediments and mineral mixtures.
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (19659014) Arabia Terra (19659015]A focus of scientific research over the past 10 years is relevant to “The Martian’s” setting but does not receive mention in the plot. Matt Damon’s character Mark Watney must traverse a vast and dusty region of Mars called Arabia Terra to reach his best chance at survival.
Arabia Terra .
In
2022
I, along with my colleagues at Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU), published detailed analyses of the layers materials in 2023using imagery from the
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiterand
Mars Odyssey Satellites.
Using infrared images and measuring the dimensions on the surface features, we were able to link multiple layers of deposits to the same episodes and learn more about the crumbling nature of terrain that is seen today. This loose material is indicative of a dry climate around 3.5 billions years ago.
In order to make the discussion about this area easier we even worked with scientists.
International Astronomical Union () to name some previously unnamed, craters mentioned in the story. One crater that Watney drove right past is now named
Kozova Crater (19459052) is named after a Ukrainian town.
There’s more to explore
Many unknowns remain despite rapid advances in Mars Science. Scientists are still unsure of the exact ages, atmospheric conditions, and possible signs of life associated with the different rock types on the surface.
The Perseverance Rover recently
Drilled into and analyzed an unique set of rocks that hosted organic – carbon-based – compounds. Organic compounds are the building blocks of all life. However, a more detailed analysis will be required to determine if these specific rocks were once home to microbial life.
In-development
Mars Sample Return aims to answer these fundamental questions by delivering to Earth the first unaltered fragments from another world. Perseverance is already storing rock and soil samples in sealed tubes, including those containing organic compounds. The caches will need to be picked up by a future lander and launched back to Earth.
Once back on Earth, researchers can examine the materials with instruments that are orders of magnitude more sensitive than those that could be carried in a spacecraft. Scientists will learn more about Mars’ habitability, geologic past and the presence of any signs life through the sample return campaign rather than sending humans to its surface. This is why NASA, European Space Agency, and others have invested around US$30 billion into robotic Mars exploration since 1960. The payoff was staggering: This work triggered rapid technological advancements in robotics, telecommunications, and materials science. Mars mission technology, for example, has led to improved suturesfor heart surgery and cars that drive themselves .
It also bolstered the status [of NASA and the U.S.]as bastions for modern exploration and technology, and it has inspired millions of students to take aninterest in scientific areas.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Calling the red planet home?
Colonizing Mars is a seductive idea. It’s impossible not to cheer the indomitable spirit of humanity while watching Watney fight dust storms, oxygen scarcity and food shortages over 140 million miles away from rescue.
The momentum for colonizing Mars has been attributed to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and his stated mission of making humanity a “multiplanetary species “. This has become a rallying cry. While Mars colonization may sound romantic, it’s extremely difficult to implement. Many critics have questioned whether a Mars habitation could be a refuge for Earthlings.
With NASA potentially facing a near 50% reduction in its science budget, it is possible that the U.S. will completely eliminate its planetary science, robotic operations, and sample return portfolios.
President Donald Trump and Musk, however, have pushed forhuman space exploration to continue to advance, despite these proposed cuts. This has effectively marginalized the robotic, scientific-driven programs which have underpinned all Mars exploration to date.
Yet it is these programs which have given humanity the richest insights into Mars and given both storytellers and scientists like Andy Weir a foundation to imagine what standing on Mars’ surface must be like.
