AndyWeir
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Experiment suggests potatoes really will grow on Mars
It looks like Mark Watney, the fictional, stranded astronaut in The Martian, was right about one thing. Potatoes can grow on Mars. The International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima placed a special potato inside a sealed container that simulates Mars temperature, air pressure, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The results so far are positive; cameras inside the canister show sprouts.
'The Martian' author to make NASA TV drama with CBS
It's been a while since we've had a fictional TV series based around the present-day exploits of the folks at NASA. That's all set to change with the news that CBS has commissioned a pilot for a drama about the next generation of astronauts, entitled Mission Control. The show will focus on the personal and professional exploits of a group of young, would-be space cowboys on a "critical mission with no margin for error." The show has been written and created by Andy Weir, who rose to fame as the author of hit sci-fi novel The Martian.
'The Martian' VR experience comes home
It's been a long time coming, but The Martian VR Experience is finally ready. Fox has released its virtual reality take on the stranded-on-Mars movie (plus Andy Weir novel) for the HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, with Oculus Rift support coming soon. Spend $20 and you can fill the boots of astronaut Mark Watney as he struggles to survive and make it back to Earth, both in 3D sequences and 360-degree videos. As Fox explains to Variety, this isn't just a polished version of the demo we saw at CES in January -- there are many "technical and narrative improvements" that could make it feel fresh.
'The Martian' author Andy Weir: Private space travel is 'critical'
The Martian is the sort of success story that will inspire countless authors. Andy Weir initially started writing the story of Mark Watney, a NASA astronaut who gets stranded on Mars, as a free serial on his website. Eventually, fans pushed for him to place it on Amazon's Kindle store, where he offered it for a paltry 99 cents. Soon after that, he had liftoff. It ended up being one of Amazon's best-selling sci-fi books, which led to a major book deal (the print version remains at the top of The New York Times' best-selling paperbacks). Naturally, Hollywood came calling, and now we have Ridley Scott's adaptation of The Martian hitting theaters on October 2nd. And yes, you can relax: The film is more akin to Scott's best work, like Alien and Blade Runner, than his recent follies. In a wide-ranging interview, we chatted with Weir about the book, the state of NASA and the importance of commercial space travel.
Watch 'The Martian' astronauts struggle with isolation training
One of the greatest challenges for any manned Mars mission isn't surviving the planet itself, but remaining mentally sound on the way there -- you don't want to freak out during a months-long space voyage. And it looks like the producers behind the movie adaptation of The Martian are well aware of this practical reality. They've posted a teaser clip showing how the fictional NASA crew copes with 10 days of isolation training meant to simulate the disconnection they'll likely experience during the journey. As you'll see below, some of them handle it better than others. A few are practically itching to go on the expedition, while others clearly... suffered a bit. Why does Aquaman have control over whales?
