The Real Martian: What Needs to Be Done Before Humanity Can Take a Step on the Red Planet

Andy Weir, the author of the 2011 novel on which the new film “The Martian” is based, strove for realism in his fictional world; everything from the type of plant life that could grow on the red planet’s arid crust to its gravity (one-third of Earth’s) was based on up-to-date science.

This artist concept features NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, a mobile robot for investigating Mars' past or present ability to sustain microbial life. NASA

Andy Weir, the author of the 2011 novel on which the new film “The Martian” is based, strove for realism in his fictional world; everything from the type of plant life that could grow on the red planet’s arid crust to its gravity (one-third of Earth’s) was based on up-to-date science.

But Weir had to depart from the realm of fact to that of speculation when deciding when the story would take place: He picked Nov. 7, 2035, as the day that NASA’s seven-man crew would land on Mars. 

The reality is, a manned mission to Mars requires overcoming a wide range of technological hurdles, as well as ethical and financial problems.