The Martian

Welcome to the red planet, the fourth iteration of my LEGO IDEAS project based on one of the greatest movies of all time, The Martian. 

Due to a signifiant number of requests I have now added Sojourner the Micro Rover, the Hexadecimal system used for communicating through Pathfinder, Ketchup (we say Tomato Sauce in Australia) and a sleeping quarters attached to the HAB.

The MAV is a lightweight rocket that astronaut Mark Watney uses to blast off the surface of Mars to rendezvous with the Hermes space craft. 

I designed the MAV so the Command Module easily separates for play. Getting the base of the MAV to look right was one of the most challenging (and most enjoyable) aspects of the entire project.

The project also includes the Mars Rover 2 which plays a pivotal role in Watney's survival on Mars.

I modified the Rover by putting the crane on the Rover’s extension to carry the Pathfinder and make it as playable as possible.

The Rover’s front cockpit opens vertically, and the side panels and rear panel open up for playability and access to the interior.

The oxygenator can be removed to transport other goods if Watney doesn’t need extra oxygen to go on long journeys.

The NASA Pathfinder probe is what Watney transports back to the HAB to communicate with NASA Headquarters back on Earth after being left behind on Mars when his crew thought that he had died during a fierce storm.

Pathfinder folds up for transporting, and then collapses when charging or being used to communicate.

Sojourner is a seperate light-weight Micro Rover, the first Rover to ever land on and explore the surface of Mars. It was launched in 1996 along with Pathfinder, and played a pivotal role in instigating communication with NASA in The Martian.

Who could forget the potato farm that Mark Watney plants, being the best (and only) botanist on the entire planet Mars. He realises that he will starve to death if he doesn’t grow some food, so he creates a farm of potatoes inside the Hab and figures out how to create water to help them grow. 

Later in the movie, the airlock door is destroyed and the Martian atmosphere ruins Watney’s potato farm. He then uses duct tape and a tarp to seal the broken door.

If you look carefully, you will see I added Commander Lewis’ Laptop full of 80s and 90s Disco music, which was the only music Watney had access to for his entire duration on Mars.

I also added Watney’s calendar tally to remind him of how many sols he has been stranded on Mars for, specifically in the Hab (a sol on Mars is similar to a day on Earth, being 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35.244 seconds). 

Watney lived in the Hab for a total of 449 sols before driving the Rover to the ARES IV MAV at the launch point located in the Schiaparelli Crater, approximately 3200 km away.

The Martian is one of my all-time favourite movies, and I hope this model helps bring back some nostalgic memories.