For one, helmets for each suit type had to be much larger than real space helmets, so cameras could get clear shots of the actors' faces. Close-up shots were critical for playing up the drama and ...

He creates a chimney from a space suit’s air hose and arranges it so ... and to keep it all warm during the Martian night, he has some of the power go through resistors, which heat up.

Replace the arid desert surface of Mars with a deserted island and "The Martian" is essentially "Cast Away" in space, but with slightly less emotional trauma and no volleyball (unless Wilson is a ...