<P> While Martian gravity is less than 40% of Earth's, director Scott chose not to depict the gravitational difference, finding the effort less worthwhile to put on screen than zero gravity . Scott said the heavy spacesuits would weigh the main character enough to make up for not showing the partial gravity . The climate of Mars is also cold enough that it would make Watney's initial plan to disable the rover's heater immediately impractical . The average temperature is − 80 ° F (− 62 ° C); it is cold enough on Mars for carbon dioxide snow to fall at the poles in winter . </P> <P> The plot key to the eventual rescue plan undertaken is that a lone JPL astrodynamicist suddenly comes up with an out - of - nowhere idea about using gravity assist to get astronauts back to Mars faster and then has to convince layers of NASA management that this could work . In reality, gravity assist is a well - known practice that has been used on a number of unmanned planetary exploration missions and served as a backup strategy on manned Apollo missions . It would have been one of the first approaches that everyone within NASA would have considered . </P> <P> Ed Finn, director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University, said, "What this story does really well is imagine a near - future scenario that doesn't push too far of where we are today technically ." British physicist Brian Cox said, "The Martian is the best advert for a career in engineering I've ever seen ." </P>

Does matt damon make it back to earth in the martian