The Martian - Andy Weir

I really liked this book, talk about complex things in a easily way, has good moments, funny and sarcastic conversations.

The novel is about the first human exploration of Mars, and tells the adventures and misfortunes of one of the astronauts of Ares 3 Mission, Mark Watney, a botanist and mechanical engineer for NASA. They have been installed in the region of Acidalia Planitia. The story begins when he is presumed dead, during a storm plaguing the colony, with winds of Category 1 on the scale of hurricane. This storm, threatening the lives of all six astronauts of the mission, so for safe guard the life of the crew, the commander, ordered the abort and return to Earth.

It is during the return to the ship that will take them out of the planet Mars, when a satellite dish, hit Mark, leaving him unconscious, his personal terminal breaks and stop reporting his vital signs.

Once he regains consciousness and manages to heal the wound, began to organize to survive on Mars for a long time, he does not have to worry about oxygen, water, or filters, only food and that's a big problem. Throughout the entire novel.

Mark tell how he adapted the Martian soil to germinate potatoes, which will be the only food source for an entire year.

Mark also tell us, how he modified 2 robotic vehicles, that he will use to reach the landing site of the next mission Ares 4, which is only 3,200 kilometers, which will be in Schiaparelli Crater. However, before that, he makes as a test ride to Aris Valley, which is where the Pathfinder landed is, a failed mission to Mars exploration, to see if he can use parts to enable hem to establish a communication system, with the Earth.

Returned to the colony manages to establish contact with the NASA, which tell hem, that they are sending a rocket with supplies, radios and a large etc.

Shortly after he has an accident and loses his planting of potatoes and the soil that he fertilized. But no panic as supplies will soon leave Earth toward Mars.

But this rocket is destroyed in the take off, so is necessary to use another rocket but this time is all already done by the China, but this new roket will arrive in time to Mars. So it was decided to use as a supply rocket, to the Ares 3 rocket Hermers, which is returning to the Earth, and because it have enough speed to reach Mars again in time to rescue Mark.

Meanwhile Mark is making more changes to come to Schiaparelli crater in time to be rescue. During these modifications overload the electrical system and breaks the radio that can not be repaired. But he still continues with his plans to go.

Once he have everything ready, it starts. During all this time he has been using the satellite Phobos for determine east, west, and the star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, which indicates north on Mars would be like our North Star.

During his trip discover by chance that there is a sandstorm approaching, which would leave he without electricity, as this is generated by solar panels, after adventures by predicting the size and direction of the storm he avoiding it.

Once he have reached Schiaparelli crater, it is there the MAV rocket, with which can can restore contact with Earth. NASA tells him that need to make drastic changes to the MAV, to allow him to leave Mars and reach Hermes during its flyby of Mars.

Hermes manages to reach Mark, after serious problems in their rocket and voluntary detonated of a bomb in the Hermes ship, to achieve correct meeting point between Hermes and MAV.

I have attached a map, generated by DLR, so you can see what was the route that Mark use on Mars