Chapter 15

Mark Watney resumes Pathfinder comms, confirms Airlock 1 blew him out, and reports the Hab re-pressurized with power restored. He lists 1,841 salvaged potatoes—184 sols of food—and projects starvation around Sol 584. Venkat Kapoor prioritizes oxygenator and water reclaimer checks; Watney repairs burst water lines and reports 620 liters remaining.

At JPL, Bruce Ng briefs leaders: only 48 build-days remain because of transit and mounting constraints, forcing a simple tumble-lander with rugged payload—food and a radio. NASA repurposes the EagleEye 3 booster. Teams accept minimal targeting needs since Watney can drive to the site.

As deadlines slip, Teddy Sanders forges time by compressing pad work and skipping inspections despite a calculated ~2.5% mission-failure risk. Dr. Keller warns Watney can’t reduce calories safely, but Teddy mandates stretching rations by four days. Meanwhile, Rich Purnell quietly pursues an alternative orbital idea, even taking an impromptu “vacation” to continue.

Iris is completed after 63 grueling days. Public interest peaks as Annie Montrose manages media. Mission Control, JPL, and the Hermes crew watch the launch. Early ascent shows a minor shimmy from fuel mix imbalance; guidance compensates while the mission proceeds toward staging.

Inside Iris, the vibration liquefies the protein-bar payload, causing a mass shift. On second-stage ignition, the sludge slams off-center, overloading and shearing mounting bolts—one already subtly defective—freeing Iris within the aeroshell. The vehicle starts spinning with severe precession, communications fail, and debris is reported over the Atlantic.

Mission Control declares loss of signal and initiates post-failure procedures. Leaders absorb the setback as Venkat, despondent, receives a new Pathfinder message: Watney asking how the launch went.