How Realistic Is the Hermes From the Martian?

The Hermes spacecraft from the movie ‘The Martian’ is one of the most iconic spaceships in modern science fiction movies. The film, which was based on the novel by Andy Weir, tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is stranded on Mars after a mission goes wrong. The Hermes is the spacecraft that brings Watney’s crew to Mars and later becomes his lifeline as he tries to return home.

But just how realistic is the Hermes from ‘The Martian’? Let’s take a closer look.

The Design of the Hermes

The Hermes is a spacecraft that consists of three main parts: the crew module, which houses the crew during their journey; the propulsion section, which provides thrust and maneuvering capabilities; and the habitation section, which contains living quarters for the crew.

One of the most striking features of the Hermes is its large solar panels that stretch out like wings. These solar panels are used to generate electricity to power all of the spacecraft’s systems.

While this design may seem futuristic, it’s actually quite realistic. Many modern spacecraft use solar panels as their primary source of power.

Another notable feature of the Hermes is its rotating section. This section creates artificial gravity by spinning around its axis. This design has been proposed for real-life space missions in order to combat some of the negative effects of prolonged exposure to zero gravity.

The Functionality of the Hermes

In terms of functionality, there are a few aspects of the Hermes that are not entirely realistic. For example, in ‘The Martian’, Watney uses duct tape to repair a hole in his spacesuit and various other equipment malfunctions throughout his mission that he fixes with simple tools and materials. While this makes for great drama in a movie, it’s unlikely that such crude repairs would be able to keep a spacecraft functioning properly over an extended period of time.

Additionally, while NASA has plans to send humans to Mars in the near future, the technology required to build a spacecraft as advanced as the Hermes is still a long way off. The Hermes is depicted as being able to travel from Earth to Mars in just a few months, whereas current estimates suggest that a one-way journey would take around seven months.

The Verdict

Overall, while the Hermes from ‘The Martian’ may not be entirely realistic, it’s certainly plausible. The design of the spacecraft incorporates many features that are already used in modern space missions, and its rotating section could potentially be used to create artificial gravity for future manned missions.

While we may not be sending astronauts to Mars on a Hermes-like spacecraft anytime soon, it’s exciting to think about what advances in technology and engineering may allow us to achieve in the coming decades.