30 'The Martian' Quotes For All Budding Spacemen

'The Martian' is a novel written by Andy Weir which was later adapted on the big screen by decorated director, Ridley Scott.

The novel is partially written as a series of log entries by Astronaut Mark Watney who is left stranded on Mars. He addresses himself as "King of Mars" because he grew crops and in turn colonized the planet.

The novel was critically acclaimed. On grounds of the rave reviews, the novel was brought to the big screen by Ridley Scott in 2015 and it stars renowned actor Matt Damon as the main character Mark Watney. Mark is presumed dead after a fierce storm and is left behind on Mars by his crew. But he survives and the story follows him trying to find a way to signal Earth that he is alive. He can only turn to his ingenuity, wit, and spirit as he finds a way to survive alone on the planet.

For more related content take a look at outer space quotes and [sci-fi quotes].

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'The Martian' quotes from the book written by Andy Weir are iconic.

1. “I wonder if they’ll ever find out what really happened. I’ve been so busy staying alive I never thought of what this must be like for my parents.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

2. “Yes, of course, duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

3. “I started the day with some nothin’ tea. Nothin’ tea is easy to make. First, get some hot water, then add nothin’.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

4. “My guess is pockets of ice formed around some of the bacteria. Life is amazingly tenacious. They don't want to die any more than I do.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

5. “Mars is a barren wasteland and I am completely alone here. I already knew that, of course. But there’s a difference between knowing it and really experiencing it.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

6. “I never realized how utterly silent Mars is. It’s a desert world with practically no atmosphere to convey sound. I could hear my own heartbeat.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

7. “Half the people who studied botany were hippies. I didn’t like them. I’ve always been in it for the science.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

8. “It’s kind of silly if you think about it. I’m in my spacesuit on Mars and I’m navigating with sixteenth-century tools.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

9. “It just feels nice to be an astronaut. That’s all it is. Not a reluctant farmer, not an electrical engineer, not a long-haul trucker. An astronaut. I’m doing what astronauts do. I missed it.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

10. “At first, I figured it was my duty. But then it started to get fun. Now, as I drive, I look forward to that simple act of bagging rocks.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

11. “My terrifying struggle to stay alive became somehow routine.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

Fans of the 'The Martian' will be interested to know that the film was based on Andy Weir's novel of the same name. Some of the best quotes from the movie starring Matt Damon and his mission to get back to Earth.

12. “I admit it’s fatally dangerous, but I’d get to fly around like Iron Man.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

13. “They say once you grow crops somewhere, you have officially colonized it. So, technically, I colonized Mars. In your face, Neil Armstrong!”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

14. “I don’t want to come off as arrogant here, but I’m the greatest botanist on this planet.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

15. “I’m going to be taking a craft over in international waters without permission, which by definition... makes me a pirate. Mark Watney: Space Pirate.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

16. “None of this matters at all if I can’t find a way to make contact with NASA.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

17. “You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem... and you solve the next one... and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home. All right, questions?”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

18. “I am definitely going to die up here ... if I have to listen to any more god-awful disco music.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

19. “Welcome to the Astronaut Candidate Program. Now pay attention, because this could save your life. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

20. “I don’t even know who’ll read this. I guess someone will find it eventually. Maybe a hundred years from now.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

21. “Luckily, in the history of humanity, nothing bad has ever happened from lighting hydrogen on fire.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

22. “The other question I get most frequently is. When I was up there stranded by myself, did I think I was gonna die? Yes, absolutely. And that’s one you need to know, going in, because it's gonna happen to you. This is space. It does not cooperate.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

23. “Everywhere I go, I’m the first. Step outside the rover? First guy ever to be there! Climb a hill? First guy to climb that hill.”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

24. “So, I gotta figure out a way to grow three years’ worth of food here. On a planet where nothing grows.  Luckily, I’m a Botanist. Mars will come to fear my botany powers!”

― Mark Watney, ‘The Martian’.

Great quotes from the book by some of the supporting characters.

25. “Every time something goes wrong, the world forgets why we fly.”

― Teddy Sanders, ‘The Martian’.

26. “Mark Watney's prolonged mission and fight for survival are giving us more knowledge about Mars than the rest of the Ares program combined.”

― Annie Montrose, ‘The Martian’.

27. “How long are we gonna keep this from the Ares 3 crew? They all think Watney's dead. It's a huge drain on morale.”

― Mitch Henderson, ‘The Martian’.

28. “The entire focus of NASA will be to bring Mark Watney home. This will be our overriding and singular obsession until he is either back on Earth or confirmed dead on Mars.”

―  Teddy Sanders, ‘The Martian’.

29. “The biggest threat is giving up hope.”

― Dr. Irene Shields, ‘The Martian’.

30. “Love of science is universal across all cultures.”

― Teddy Sanders, ‘The Martian’.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'The Martian' quotes then why not take a look at [Spock quotes], or 'The Last Jedi' quotes?

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