<P> The China National Space Administration has been developing a powerful classified booster rocket, the Taiyang Shen . Feeling camaraderie with NASA's scientists, they violate their government's secrecy and offer it to repeat the Iris mission . As Watney is still at more risk the longer he waits, JPL astrodynamicist Rich Purnell devises an alternative plan: send the Taiyang Shen with supplies to the Hermes, which will use Earth's gravity to "slingshot" back to Mars two years earlier . Sanders rejects the idea, refusing to risk the crew on Hermes, but Henderson surreptitiously sends them Purnell's plan . Risking their lives and careers, they vote unanimously for it, and make the necessary course change . Powerless to stop them, NASA concedes the issue . </P> <P> Watney begins the 90 - sol journey to Schiaparelli, where the MAV for Ares IV has been pre-positioned, but it needs to be lightened to make the rendezvous with Hermes on its new course . Watney must remove many components, and replace the nose cone with a piece of the Hab's canvas . The MAV still fails to reach the required speed, so Commander Lewis maneuvers Hermes, consuming most of its available fuel, then ordering a directional explosive decompression of the internal atmosphere . Finally she uses a Manned Maneuvering Unit, but still cannot quite reach Watney . He pierces the glove of his pressure suit and uses the escaping air to propel himself towards Lewis, effectively reuniting him with his crew after 560 sols alone on Mars . </P> <P> After returning to Earth, Watney becomes a survival instructor for astronaut candidates . Five years later, on the occasion of the Ares V mission launch, those involved in Watney's rescue have begun new lives . </P> <Ul> <Li> Matt Damon as Mark Watney, a botanist who is part of the Ares III team, presumed dead after a violent storm on Mars . Watney is forced to use his ingenuity and wit to survive until he can be rescued . </Li> <Li> Jessica Chastain as Commander Melissa Lewis, an officer in the United States Navy, geologist and the Ares III mission commander . </Li> <Li> Jeff Daniels as Theodore "Teddy" Sanders, the Director of NASA . Sanders is shown to be competent but averse to unnecessary risks . </Li> <Li> Kristen Wiig as Annie Montrose, the director of media relations for NASA . She is primarily concerned with the public perception of NASA during the Watney rescue . </Li> <Li> Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vincent Kapoor, NASA's Director of Mars Missions, and the first person to establish contact with Watney . His father was a Hindu and his mother was a Baptist woman of African origin . </Li> <Li> Sean Bean as Mitch Henderson, the Ares III's mission director . His priority at all times is the welfare and stability of the Ares III crew . </Li> <Li> Michael Peña as Major Rick Martinez, the pilot of the Ares III mission . He is the closest of the Ares III team to Watney . </Li> <Li> Kate Mara as Beth Johanssen, the Ares III's system operator . She has romantic feelings for Beck . </Li> <Li> Sebastian Stan as Dr. Chris Beck, an astronaut and flight surgeon for the Ares III mission . He has romantic feelings for Johanssen . </Li> <Li> Aksel Hennie as Dr. Alex Vogel, a German national who is the navigator and chemist of Ares III . </Li> <Li> Mackenzie Davis as Mindy Park, a satellite planner in Mission Control . </Li> <Li> Donald Glover as Rich Purnell, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) astrodynamicist who formulates a plan to rescue Watney . </Li> <Li> Benedict Wong as Bruce Ng, director of JPL, charged with constructing the rockets and payloads for the rescue mission . </Li> <Li> Eddy Ko as Guo Ming (Chinese: 郭 明), chief scientist at CNSA . </Li> <Li> Chen Shu as Zhu Tao (Chinese: 朱 涛), deputy chief scientist at CNSA . </Li> <Li> Nick Mohammed as Tim Grimes . </Li> </Ul>

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