The science fiction movie The Martian, with actor Matt Damon, is quite entertaining and gives us an insight of what could be the era of planet exploration for mankind. Our passion for space travel was fueled by former US President Jack F. Kennedy with the race to the moon announced in 1961, shortly after the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA is now focusing on how to explore new planets sending robotic probes to determine if they are habitable since unexpected circumstances like a meteorite or extreme climate change may render planet Earth inhabitable. In the movie, the inhospitable Mars surface becomes even more challenging when a sand storm forces the evacuation of the Ares III mission crew. Astronaut Mark Watney (a botanist, played by Matt Damon) was accidentally left behind as the crew presumed him dead when his suit was pierced during the storm. Although humans cannot stand decompression in outer space for more than a minute, Mark survived miraculously when his blood clogged the hole in his suit. Driven by his mental strength, scientific knowledge, and survival instincts, Mark overcomes incredible challenges: including stitching himself to close a piercing bound to his abdomen, and creatively overcoming major food shortages. Aware that the next man mission to Mars will not arrive until 4 years later, Mark finds a way to cultivate potatoes to increase his food supply. Remarkably, while facing overwhelming odds, he remains physically and mentally strong and “sciences out” of every problem he encounters. Four months after the crew has departed, NASA finds out by comparing satellite pictures of the Mars surface that the astronaut is alive, and regular communications restart. NASA refuses initially to tell the Ares III crew that Mark is alive, but they finally give up and share the news with them. Without NASA’s consent, the crew unanimously decides to return to Mars and rescue Mark and bring him back to earth.

Mark is finally intercepted 561 days (1 year and a half) after he was left behind, by Commander Lewis and his fellow crew members. Once back in earth, Mark reflects how despite suffering tragic setbacks, an astronaut has to be ready to solve problems using his intuition and scientific knowledge. Mark makes this remark while addressing new astronauts and also reflects that he was well aware that he was struggling for “something greater than himself”. As astronaut Neil Armstrong expressed during the first human walk in the moon: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Many challenges still remain for us to travel to Mars, not only distance ways but also how to avoid the radiation you will be exposed to given the very thin atmosphere which does not shield from cosmic radiation. Protective habitats and protective suits like the ones described in the movie have to be designed to minimize radiation exposure. NASA currently has a bid for origami designers that can come up with a shield that can be folded to reduce space during storage but can be expanded to be used in outside walks to reduce radiation. Ingenious designers also are looking into how to reduce the weight of the space suits while maintaining functionality.  Important challenges to overcome, as we move forward to explore our closest planetary neighbor: The Red Planet.