12

Looking at the still frames of the Hermes (from the movie), after the Rich Purnell Earth slingshot, I could not see any type of Earth re-entry vehicle attached to the Hermes.

Was the MAV designed for Earth re-entry, or were the crew expected to use the vehicle that the ARES IV crew brought up for their return?

1

2 Answers 2

20

In the book, the Hermes is intended to be serviced in Earth orbit and reused for Ares IV, so there is an indication of infrastructure existing to handle that - no need to haul their Earth re-entry vehicle as additional weight when they can be met by one at the "space dock" where the refurbishment will be carried out.

Edit to add: There is a deleted scene from the movie which extends Watney's arrival at Earth, showing a reusable space craft docking with the Hermes.

16

On the way back to Earth, the Hermes does a long deceleration manoeuvre which ends up placing it in Earth orbit. At that point, some kind of crew transportation ship would likely lift off from Earth, dock with the Hermes, bringing a new crew and new supplies, and the existing crew could use that to return to the surface. This is similar to how astronauts get on and off the ISS now.

1
  • 5
    Just a note, but the ISS swaps out its Soyuz craft fairly regularly, with astronauts that are visiting for only a few days often going back on a different Soyuz than they arrived on days before - their Soyuz then stays docked as the lifeboat for a few months. This ensures the lifeboats are rotated so expiring consumables such as the hypergolics and batteries arent an issue.
    – Moo
    Jan 30, 2016 at 20:42

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.