What does Rich Purnell is a steely eyed missile man mean?
Purnell is referred to as a steely-eyed missile man. The same phrase is heard in the movie Apollo 13. “It’s a NASA tradition that dates back to the Apollo era,” says Weir. “It’s a phrase used to honor somebody for coming up with a very clever solution that would’ve otherwise caused a scrub.
What is the plan Rich Purnell comes up with?
One of the most creative solutions that is come up with to help rescue Watney from Mars is an orbital maneuver called the “Rich Purnell Maneuver.” This maneuver takes advantage of the placement of both Mars and Earth and allows Watney’s crewmates to bring their ship, the Hermes, back to Mars and effectively pick him up …
Is the rich Purnell maneuver real?
Yes, definitely! We obviously don’t have the ion engine yet (EDIT: we do for non-manned spacecraft! See Jacob Barnes’ reply below), but gravity slingshots around Earth, other planets, and have been used frequently throughout the history of space exploration so far.
How was information about the Purnell maneuver sent to the crew of the Hermes?
The “Rich Purnell Maneuver” uses Taiyang Shen to send Hermes a resupply probe. Watney would have to get to the Ares 4 MAV, modify it, and use it to reach Hermes.
Why didn’t Watney grow more potatoes?
Airlock Breach When Airlock 1 breached, causing a gaping hole in The Hab, the potatoes were freeze dried and the bacteria in the soil assumed dead. Because of this Mark was unable to grow any more potatoes and could only eat the ones he still had with him.
Why does Mark have to drill holes in the rover Hull?
After getting communication with NASA, they provide him plans to get the life-support equipment into a rover. The problem in the book was that one of the three components was too large to fit in the rover. To make it fit, a hole was needed to be cut in a rover top.
How did NASA realize that Mark is still alive?
Pathfinder, an old rover that NASA had on Mars. How did NASA realize that Mark may still be alive? They checked the satellites and saw that the solar panels had been cleared off.
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 12 G’s mean in the Martian?
“He might be in bad shape when I get him, ” Beck said. “The stripped down MAV will get up to 12 g’s during the launch. He could be unconscious and may even have internal bleeding.” —The Martian. The reason the Hermes could not enter orbit (as it had presumably done before) was due to fuel demands.
Why does Dr Irene Shields think Watney may have decided to drive to the landing spot of the ARES 4?
Irene confirms that Watney is intelligent, resourceful, “with a great sense of humor.” She states “the biggest threat is giving up hope.” She suggests his trip to the Ares 4 location may be for survival or it may simply be to make contact.
How does Watney save himself from an impaled satellite?
Problem 1: As the Ares 3 crew is evacuating Mars, Mark Watney is impaled by a communication antenna. He carefully removes the antenna and limps to the Hab. There, he anesthetizes and stitches up his wound, ultimately saving his life.
Why did Mark Watney pass out?
Mark doesn’t wake up until the next day. The hole in his flight suit from the rod causes him to pass out from decompression (the air leaving his suit) but the blood from his wound drips down to plug the hole and his suit sort of repressurizes.
Can you survive on Mars with just a helmet?
It’s relatively cool with an average annual temperature of -60 degrees Celsius, but Mars lacks an Earth-like atmospheric pressure. Upon stepping on Mars’ surface, you could probably survive for around two minutes before your organs ruptured. Indeed, Earth is just perfect enough to survive without a spacesuit.
How real is Martian?
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. So while the overall Martian scenario may be fictional, the science in COLL 150 is very real.
What does Hermes crew use to slow down the ship?
To reduce the speed of the ship using the force of the explosion as they approached Mark Watney in the capsule. If they used too much fuel from the ship’s thrusters to slow down they could not make course corrections on the return journey.
What happened when Watney first tried to make water?
Watney takes the risk of creating his own water by using his oxygenator (a device that creates oxygen from carbon dioxide), extracting hydrogen from the crew’s unused hydrazine fuel (from the MDV, or Mars Descent Vehicle), and burning them to create the extra water he needs to nourish his potatoes.
How Far Will Hermes be away from the Mav?
On Hermes, Martinez is relieved to find the MAV is now steadying. Johanssen tells Lewis the MAV will reach orbit, but the distance at intercept will be 68 km.
How did observation and deduction help Watney figure out he had entered a dust storm?
In The Martian by Andy Weir, how did observation and deduction help Mark Watney figure out he had entered a dust storm? Observation and deduction helped Mark Watney figure out he had entered the dust storm because he was able to observe how his power charge rates were changing.
How did Watney figure out he was in a dust storm?
Watney sets up the solar cells and power meter, then eats his “halfway to Shiaparelli” meal. Sol 479. After collecting the solar cells and checking the recordings, Watney determines the storm is north of him.
What will Watney’s biggest problem over time be?
In the movie The Martian, Mark Watney, finding himself stranded 140 million miles from earth (and 4 years from rescue), sums up his situation like this: “If the oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst.