The Martian Potatoes

November 10, 2024 Post a Comment

The martian potatoes

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.

Could you actually grow potatoes on Mars?

Recent experiments have demonstrated that potatoes can grow on Mars, but likely only varieties that can tolerate the salty Martian soil.

Where did the potatoes come from The Martian?

The reason he had access to potatoes in space was because the Ares III crew would have been on Mars during Thanksgiving and NASA psychologists thought it would be good for them if they could have food other then the freeze dried space food, so NASA sent them to space with some potatoes which thankfully had buds/eyes

What does Mark Watney dip his potato in?

Sparking a chemical reaction to produce water, Watney blasts himself across the room. Running out of ketchup to leaven the taste of his home-grown, life-sustaining potatoes, he dips them in crushed Vicodin.

What does Mark use his poop for why?

So to get biological material into Martian soil, Watney uses the only spare biological material he has: astronaut poop. He mixes it in with the Martian soil, plants some potatoes that NASA had sent up with his crew, and, voila, you have plant life on Mars.

Why did Mark Watney keep the potato plants alive?

The reason why Watney grew potatoes is that they are almost the only crop he could grow. The mission did not carry seeds or seedlings with them, because they were not planning on growing food, because they were planning to stay only one month, not more than 2 years.

Why don't we send plants to Mars?

As mentioned earlier, Mars's open air is just too cold for plants to survive.

Is the soil on Mars toxic?

Martian soil is harmful for plants and people because it contains a lot of chlorine in molecules called perchlorates. These toxic molecules will need to be removed before using the soil to grow food crops. The harsh Martian environment poses many additional challenges plant growth.

Can you grow food in Martian soil?

If we were to grow food on Mars, it would most likely need to be done hydroponically initially, using artificial light. Without the protective influence of a thick atmosphere, the radiation from the sun would mutate and damage the crops if grown on the 'surface'.

Why did NASA send whole refrigerated potatoes?

NASA hopes to send the potatoes to Mars in refrigerated tubes ahead of a manned mission so that they are already growing by the time humans arrive. By growing vegetables at a Martian colony it could reduce costs and gives space travellers a means to feed themselves.

What did Mark Watney need to grow potatoes?

In the story, astronaut Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon in the movie), survives being stranded on Mars by growing potatoes—using his own feces for fertilizer.

Why are potatoes such a good food source for Watney?

On Mars, astronaut Watney isn't exactly worried about putting on a few pounds. So for him, potatoes offer a surprising amount of nutrition. They are high in vitamin C (no scurvy!), potassium, magnesium, iodine and some B vitamins. And, most importantly for Watney, they offer much-needed calories.

What does Mark eat on The Martian?

In Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian, stranded astronaut Mark Watney's (played by Matt Damon) act of growing potatoes on the red planet is one of his first and most basic acts of survival.

How did they grow potatoes in space?

The potato seeds were placed inside the ISS' computer-controlled growth chambers. This facility has unique lighting technology, high-efficiency temperature, humidity controls, and automation technology. Therefore, it can produce minitubers, even without the labor-intensive handling method.

What did Mark Watney burn to make water?

In “The Martian,” Damon's character, astronaut Mark Watney, produces water by burning leftover rocket fuel and extracts the hydrogen from the resulting chemical reaction.

Why did Watney cut a hole in the rover?

Rover 2 was the rover that Mark Watney used. It was modified significantly to fit the oxygenator, the water making machine and all his food. He drilled holes into the top and put a 'balloon' in it in order to make the right conditions for the oxygenator and to make it bigger.

Can human poop be used for anything?

Through recycling of poop that would have ended up in a landfill and polluted the environment, benefits such as biogas, fertilizer, fecal transplant, hydrogen fuel, building bricks, metals, and drinking water can be obtained. Therefore, human waste proves to be cheap and an environmentally-friendly alternative.

How cold is Mars now?

However, temperatures range from around -220 degrees F. in the wintertime at the poles, to +70 degrees F. over the lower latitudes in the summer. Various probes over the past few decades have found the surface of Mars to be rather desert like.

How did NASA realize that Watney was still alive?

NASA eventually discovers that Watney is alive when satellite images of the landing site show evidence of his activities; NASA personnel begin devising ways to rescue him, but withhold the news of his survival from the rest of the Ares 3 crew, on their way back to Earth aboard the Hermes spacecraft, so as not to

Why does the crew bring the potatoes with them to Mars?

With no means of farmable materials on Mars, Watney uses potatoes, brought for the crew's thanksgiving meal, to create a potato farm, which he fertilizes with human feces, prolonging his life long enough for the anticipated rendezvous with his crew.