In the novel "The Martian" by Andy Weir, stranded astronaut Mark Watney spends most of his time at the fictional Ares 3 site in the real southern Acidalia Planitia. NASA says the region is actually far more interesting and hazardous to drive over than depicted in the novel. This image shows the area close to the Ares 3 landing site.
In the novel "The Martian" by Andy Weir, stranded astronaut Mark Watney spends most of his time at the fictional Ares 3 site in the real southern Acidalia Planitia. NASA says the region is actually far more interesting and hazardous to drive over than depicted in the novel. This image shows the area close to the Ares 3 landing site.
NASA
Weir sent HiRISE mission managers the exact coordinates of the site he wished to use for his fictional landing base for Watney. This is it. The closeup image shows wind-blown deposits inside eroded craters. HiRISE stands for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, a camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Weir sent HiRISE mission managers the exact coordinates of the site he wished to use for his fictional landing base for Watney. This is it. The closeup image shows wind-blown deposits inside eroded craters. HiRISE stands for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, a camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
NASA
"The Martian" used actual locations on Mars for the landing sites for its Ares 3 and Ares 4 missions. The landing site for Ares 3 -- on a Martian plain named Acidalia Planitia -- is shown in this photo. For Watney, Acidalia Planitia is within driving distance of where NASA's Mars Pathfinder, with its Sojourner rover, landed in 1997.
"The Martian" used actual locations on Mars for the landing sites for its Ares 3 and Ares 4 missions. The landing site for Ares 3 -- on a Martian plain named Acidalia Planitia -- is shown in this photo. For Watney, Acidalia Planitia is within driving distance of where NASA's Mars Pathfinder, with its Sojourner rover, landed in 1997.
NASA
The base for "The Martian's" Ares 4 mission was inside a crater named Schiaparelli, according to NASA. This HiRISE image shows a flat region in the crater. No boulders can be seen, and NASA says the dust is probably at least a meter thick.
The base for "The Martian's" Ares 4 mission was inside a crater named Schiaparelli, according to NASA. This HiRISE image shows a flat region in the crater. No boulders can be seen, and NASA says the dust is probably at least a meter thick.
NASA
Stranded astronaut Watney travels to the rim of Mawrth Crater. This image from the HiRISE camera shows what the terrain really looks like on Mars. According to NASA, the terrain is rolling with small impact craters and wind-blown drifts of sand or dust.
Stranded astronaut Watney travels to the rim of Mawrth Crater. This image from the HiRISE camera shows what the terrain really looks like on Mars. According to NASA, the terrain is rolling with small impact craters and wind-blown drifts of sand or dust.
NASA
More than 39,000 images have been taken by HiRISE since the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached Mars in 2006. They are available online for anyone to explore, without having to go to Mars, at <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhirise.lpl.arizona.edu" target="_blank" target="_blank">http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu</a>.
More than 39,000 images have been taken by HiRISE since the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached Mars in 2006. They are available online for anyone to explore, without having to go to Mars, at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu.
NASA