I just watched the movie The Martian, is it possible?

[Lymsleia]

not about technology, but the 'rescue attempt'

if something like in movie (or in novel) really happen.
if state were to spend a several billion to rescue one single man form mars... are they going to do it?
or is it possible for them to keep silent and let the Mars kill him to save money?

I didn't mean to see humanity in bad ways but... just possibility.ps. English is not my native language, for give me if I'm wrong in spelling or grammar.

 

[axmls]

The government has spent far more money on far less, so I'd say it wouldn't be far-fetched. Public opinion would dictate what would happen, I think, and the government's reputation would be destroyed (even more) if they let an astronaut die like that.

That said, the goal when we first went to the moon was to send man to the moon, and to bring him back safely. That second part was and still is of utmost importance.

 

[Ygggdrasil]

That said, Nixon had a speech prepared in case Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had to be stranded on the moon: http://www.space.com/26604-apollo-11-failure-nixon-speech.html

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.

These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations.

In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

 

[rootone]

The movie was interesting although some of the special effects (the huge dust storm) was not really credible, hey but it's 'drama'.
However most of the ideas were physically possible, such as rigging up a greenhouse sufficient to feed one person.
I think any real human expedition to Mars would be a multinational effort, and if anyone actually did get 'stranded' on Mars there would be a collaborated attempt to rescue them.
I don't think any of the nations involved would try to argue that the cost of saving the stranded person was an problem if it could be done.

 

[Lymsleia]

sorry, just got back from work,

at first, I personally thing is very possible that state decide to keep is secrete and let him die,
but in that case, some people can still leak that information to the public 'hey! that man still alive and gov' decide to let him die!'
and use public to force state hand to start helping him.

 

[Rocco the Stiff]

Could someone explain the Martian soil thing. How is it possible it had nutrients to grow potatoes in, afaik he was only watering them.

 

[OmCheeto]

Could someone explain the Martian soil thing. How is it possible it had nutrients to grow potatoes in, afaik he was only watering them.

Night soil

 

[Rocco the Stiff]

Night soil

Oh right, thanks...i totally forgot about the packaged "thing" he added. I remember now, he even made a joke when he smelled someone's remains. :D

Next question would be, is that enough? I mean, on Earth fertilizer is also used but with the addition of soil already having access to different nutrients. All sorts of stuff in the soil here that wouldn't be on Mars, mycelia fungus for example, although i do not know of it's effect on potatoes.

Anyhow, am no expert, just trying to learn. :P Thanks for reply!

 

[OmCheeto]

...mycelia fungus for example, although i do not know of it's effect on potatoes.

Anyhow, am no expert, just trying to learn. :P Thanks for reply!

I would suggest, if you are really interested, that you venture out to the Biology and Medical forum, and ask the question, as this is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy section.

Otherwise, in here, you might get a wibbly wobbly type of answer.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

I think the whole greenhouse thing was flawed for a couple of reason.

1. The bacteria were killed when exposed to Martian surface temps? They had been in a bag in a box with no heat for up to two weeks already when he removed them from storage. They were at ambient not long after getting deposited there.

2. He could have restarted the greenhouse using his own poo. This would have meant having plants in various stages of growth as he "contributed" fecal matter for the next plant or plants. Each plant appeared to be giving him at least two days rations plus a few extras to start the next generation.

Okay, where did I screw that up?

 

[EnumaElish]

not about technology, but the 'rescue attempt'

if something like in movie (or in novel) really happen.
if state were to spend a several billion to rescue one single man form mars... are they going to do it?
or is it possible for them to keep silent and let the Mars kill him to save money?

I didn't mean to see humanity in bad ways but... just possibility.ps. English is not my native language, for give me if I'm wrong in spelling or grammar.

Americans would go and get him (or her), no expense spared, and make a huge PR out of it.

Europeans would talk Americans into rescuing the euronaut.

Russians would send more cosmonauts one-way, and hope they can start a colony on Mars.

The Japanese would probably send an army of robots to do everything and build a city on mars. But returning him to Earth would be just too expensive.