How Fast Was the Hermes in the Martian?

The Hermes was the spacecraft featured in the hit sci-fi movie ‘The Martian’. The story revolved around an astronaut named Mark Watney who, after a dust storm, is presumed dead and left behind on Mars.

The Hermes was the only spacecraft that could bring him back home to Earth. But how fast was the Hermes in the Martian? Let’s find out.

Overview of the Hermes

The Hermes was a fictional spacecraft designed by NASA to transport astronauts to and from Mars. It had a unique design that included a spinning habitat module at one end and a propulsion module at the other end.

The spacecraft was powered by ion engines, which are highly efficient but have low thrust. This meant that it could not make quick course corrections or speed up rapidly. However, once it gained momentum, it could maintain a constant speed for an extended period of time.

The Speed of the Hermes

In ‘The Martian’, it took the crew of the Hermes 124 days to travel from Earth to Mars. They then spent 18 days on Mars before returning home. During their journey back to Earth, they used a gravity assist maneuver around Earth to gain speed and reduce their travel time.

According to the movie’s storyline, the maximum speed of the Hermes was approximately 140,000 kilometers per hour (87,000 miles per hour). This is much faster than any spacecraft currently in existence today.

How Does This Compare?

To put this into perspective, NASA’s New Horizons probe – which flew past Pluto – traveled at a maximum speed of around 58,536 kilometers per hour (36,373 miles per hour). The fastest manned spacecraft ever built was NASA’s Apollo 10 mission which reached speeds of approximately 39,897 kilometers per hour (24,791 miles per hour).

Conclusion

Overall, while the Hermes was a fictional spacecraft, it was designed with a lot of thought and consideration for the laws of physics. Its use of ion engines allowed it to travel at impressive speeds over long distances, making it the perfect vehicle for transporting astronauts to and from Mars.

In conclusion, the Hermes in ‘The Martian’ traveled at a maximum speed of approximately 140,000 kilometers per hour (87,000 miles per hour). While this may seem like science fiction, it’s important to remember that advancements in technology could one day make this a reality.