Abandonment of Mark Watney

Lore & Background

The abandonment occurs on Sol 6 of the Ares 3 mission, during a planned 31-sol stay on Mars. The crew had been conducting geological surveys and experiments when a massive dust storm—far more violent than any forecast—slammed their landing site in the Acidalia Planitia region. Commander Lewis, following emergency protocols, ordered an immediate evacuation. In the frantic scramble, a flying piece of communications dish antenna punched through Watney's suit, sending him spinning into the red haze.

His vital signs flatlined on the crew’s monitors—but the bio-monitor had simply stopped transmitting, not shattered. Assuming Watney was dead, Lewis had no choice but to ignite the engines and leave him behind. The crew mourned him as a casualty, unaware that Watney was very much alive, staring up at the fading flame of his only ride home. This single moment becomes the catalyst for a global rescue effort that tests the limits of human ingenuity, cooperation, and sheer stubbornness across Earth and space.

Reader's Guide

The Abandonment of Mark Watney is the inciting incident of The Martian, occurring on Sol 6 of Ares 3. A severe dust storm forces Commander Lewis to abort the mission, and during the evacuation, Watney is struck by debris and presumed dead. Lewis, prioritizing crew safety, launches the MAV without him. This event strands Watney alone on Mars, triggering his survival efforts—growing food, generating water, and restoring communication. On Earth, NASA discovers Watney is alive via satellite imagery of his movements, leading to a rescue mission. The abandonment creates a moral and logistical crisis: NASA must decide whether to risk a rescue or leave him, while the public and the Ares 3 crew grapple with guilt and hope. The event's impact reverberates through the story, driving Watney's ingenuity and the global race against time to bring him home.

Did You Know?

• In the novel, Commander Lewis leaves Watney because she assumes he is dead, not due to a protocol prioritizing the majority over one.
• The dust storm that causes the abandonment does not threaten to knock over the MAV, as the MAV is designed to withstand such winds. The danger is to other equipment.