Contents
Chapter 16
Overview
China secretly offers its Taiyang Shen booster, enabling a last-chance resupply. While JPL rushes a crash-lander, Rich Purnell proposes a Hermes flyby rescue. NASA leadership rejects it, but Mitch leaks the plan to the crew. Commander Lewis and Hermes unanimously choose mutiny, execute the maneuver, and force NASA to support a higher-chance rescue.
Summary
Personal letters from Hermes crew frame stakes and morale. In China, CNSA leaders Guo Ming and Zhu Tao realize the Taiyang Shen booster could send a lighter payload to Mars. They privately propose lending it to NASA in exchange for placing a Chinese astronaut on a future Ares crew, and Teddy immediately agrees.
At JPL, Bruce directs a 28-day crash-lander plan (Iris 2) that will deliberately impact, aiming to deliver intact food despite a 300 m/s crash. Meanwhile, astrodynamicist Rich Purnell presents Venkat with a trajectory to send Hermes back to Mars for a Sol 549 flyby, contingent on a near‑Earth resupply via Taiyang Shen and Watney reaching the Ares 4 MAV at Schiaparelli.
In the secret “Project Elrond” meeting, leadership debates: Iris 2’s high-risk single‑astronaut gamble versus the Purnell Maneuver’s lower technical risk but higher crew exposure. Teddy decides against the maneuver, citing risk to five additional lives. Mitch explodes, calling it cowardice. Annie privately agrees the bolder plan is better.
The maneuver reaches Hermes via a hidden message in Vogel’s family e‑mail. Lewis briefs the crew: execute the Sol 549 flyby, force NASA to resupply near Earth, and require Watney to traverse 3,235 km to Ares 4’s MAV. The crew unanimously agrees to “mutiny” after a cooling-off period. Johanssen commits to disabling remote override on Hermes’s redundant systems to prevent Mission Control from seizing control.
Hermes executes a deliberate rotation and course change, then transmits: “Rich Purnell is a steely‑eyed missile man.” Mission Control detects the deviation and scrambles. With the course now set, NASA must provide the near‑Earth resupply and plan Watney’s dangerous overland trek. In the aftermath, Teddy confronts Mitch, who denies provable involvement and argues the crew chose knowingly, shifting NASA to fully support the new rescue plan.
Who Appears
- Teddy SandersNASA administrator; rejects the Rich Purnell Maneuver, choosing Iris 2; later forced to support Hermes after the mutiny.
- Mitch HendersonFlight director; advocates the Purnell Maneuver, leaks it to Hermes, confronts Teddy, forcing NASA’s hand.
- Guo MingCNSA director; proposes loaning the Taiyang Shen booster in exchange for a future Chinese astronaut on Mars.
- Zhu TaoCNSA under director; identifies Taiyang Shen’s capability and helps craft the proposal to NASA.
- Venkat KapoorMars mission director; receives Purnell’s plan, presents it at Project Elrond, balances risk assessments.
- Bruce NgJPL director; leads the ultra-rushed Iris 2 crash-lander plan while weighing the alternative rescue.
- Rich PurnellAstrodynamicist; devises the Hermes flyby rescue trajectory enabling a Sol 549 Mars pass.
- Melissa LewisHermes commander; convenes crew, secures unanimous consent, and orders the mutinous course change.
- Alex VogelNavigator/chemist; decodes the hidden message, verifies the trajectory, and executes the course change.
- Beth JohanssenSystems/comms expert; agrees to disable Hermes’s remote override and supports the mutiny.
- Rick MartinezPilot; immediately supports the risky return plan and will pilot the resupply docking.
- Chris BeckFlight surgeon; backs the mutiny and supports extended-mission risks.
- Annie MontroseNASA PR chief; calls Teddy a coward privately, prepares to frame events publicly without admitting mutiny.
- Brendan HutchOvernight flight controller; detects Hermes’s unauthorized course change and manages initial response.