Mindy Park
The first to see hope on Mars.
Mindy Park is a NASA satellite planner who first notices signs of Mark Watney's survival on Mars. Working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), she reviews satellite images of the Martian surface and spots activity that leads her to suspect Watney is alive. Her observation sets in motion NASA's efforts to rescue him.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Satellite Communications Specialist
- Affiliation
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
- Status
- Active at NASA
Lore & Background
Mindy Park works as a NASA satellite planner at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After the Ares III crew evacuates Mars during a severe dust storm, leaving astronaut Mark Watney presumed dead, Park reviews recorded satellite images of the Martian surface. She notices activity that suggests Watney may be alive. Park reports her findings to NASA director Teddy Sanders, who then releases the news to the public. The Media Action Network for Asian-Americans (MANAA) criticized the casting of white actress Mackenzie Davis as Mindy Park, whom the organization said author Andy Weir had described as Korean-American. Weir responded in October 2015 that he perceived Mindy Park as Korean but said he did not explicitly write her as Korean in the novel.
Reader's Guide
Mindy Park is a satellite planner at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She appears after the Ares III crew evacuates Mars, when she reviews satellite images and spots evidence of Watney's survival. The character was portrayed by actress Mackenzie Davis, whose casting was criticized by MANAA for not matching the Korean-American identity they attributed to the character in the novel.
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