The Physics of Exploration: Mark Watney's Journey

The Martian (2015) is an American movie, based on the story written by Andy Weir in the homonym novel. Astronaut Mark Watney, played by Hollywood actor Matt Damon, remains wounded on the surface of the red planet at the end of a space mission. Abandoned by his team, Mark must work hard to survive on the hostile Martian soil.

At the end of the movie, the astronaut leaves the red planet's surface to intercept a spacecraft sent for his recovery. Since his spaceship can not get closer to the rescue team, Mark is forced to use the oxygen of his suit as a propeller to fly in free space.

Mark grows potatoes in order to survive on Mars.

What is the Physics behind this idea?

The principle exploited by the brilliant cosmonaut is the conservation of linear momentum. Assuming that Mark starts at rest, his total linear momentum is zero. In addition, in a closed system where the resultant of external forces is null, the total linear momentum is conserved. Therefore, when Mark pierces his suit, the pressurized oxygen exerts a force on the cosmonaut that begins to accelerate. This force is balanced by the one exerted by the suit on the oxygen particles, according to Newton's third law. As a consequence, Mark moves towards the rescue spaceship while oxygen particles accelerate in the opposite direction.

Will Mark succeed in reaching his crew? It will not be easy but the space explorer has all the requirements to make it.

Comments

The Physics of War: Chris Kyle's Bullets

American Sniper is a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the autobiography of former soldier Chris Kyle. Bradley Cooper, playing the role of one of the deadliest American SEALs, joins the army as a sniper to fight in Iraq. The experiences he will have on the battlefield will condition him psychologically to the point of causing concern in his family. However, his deeds in battle amaze fellow soldiers who look at him as a hero. For this reason, Chris will be forced to choose between his family and the battlefield. The soldier proves to be very effective in action as a sniper. Before shooting, Chris is aware that he must take into account many important factors such as the wind and the position of the enemy. Another key factor is the effect of the Coriolis force, capable of deflecting the projectile in its trajectory. Let's see what is the origin of this force. Coriolis force influences also the motion of cyclones. A projectile, moving within a rotating reference

Physics Underwater: Davy Jones' Flying Dutchman

Jack Sparrow is ready to face Davy Jones and his crew. The saga of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" has, immediately, enjoyed a worldwide fame thanks to the talented group of actors presented by Gore Verbinski and the original storyline written by the producers. The various episodes describe the adventures of Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush, committed to challenging fearsome creatures of the sea. In the famous chapter "The Pirates of the Caribbean - Beyond the World's Borders", a peculiar super villain gets into trouble Captain Jack Sparrow and his fellows. His name is Davy Jones and he is the captain of a ghost ship called the Flying Dutchman; he has the power to trap the souls of battle prisoners on the ship and trap them in the wooden structure of the vessel. In many scenes, the Dutch emerges from the depths of the ocean, although not having any type of engine! Davy Jones, captain of the Flying Dutchman, will be Jack Spar

The Physics of Magic: Harry Potter's Flying Broomstick

The famous Harry Potter fantasy saga was conceived by the English writer J.K. Rowling who, since 1997, has published seven novels, leaving a huge footprint in modern literature and cinematography. Each novel, coupled with the related film, describes the deeds of Little Whinging's wizard in the fight against the Dark Lord: Voldemort. Harry, like any other student, is engaged in extracurricular activities to say the least singular. In fact, he manages to pass the selections for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and proves himself a champion as the team seeker. The seeker, on top of his flying broomstick, has the task of catching the flying Golden Snitch so as to decree the victory of his team. Harry is Gryffindor's seeker. We try to explain how, in our Universe, the broomstick could realistically rise from the ground, contrasting Earth's gravity. Magnetic levitation is one way we can describe this phenomenon. This technique exploits two types of materials: a ferrom

CuriousPhysics

Search This Blog