Set in the near future, THE MARTIAN stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, the botanist on NASA's manned Ares 3 mission to Mars. Watney and the rest of the crew are working on Mars when a storm forces them to evacuate early. But when Watney's knocked unconscious and isn't in sight, mission commander Lewis, pilot Martinez, and specialists Beck, Vogel, and Johanssen, despondently presume him dead and leave him behind. Watney survives, but with no way to communicate, he must brainstorm ways to ration and grow food, make water, and otherwise survive with meager supplies as literally the only man on the entire planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, a NASA satellite analyst believes Watney's alive; once it's confirmed, all of NASA -- and the world's greatest minds -- collaborate to try and find a way to rescue him. - Common Sense Media