1. CHAPTER 15
• Do you really think you can take a break from the series of intense events? We know from Ch.14 that Watney is doomed if he doesn’t get food supply in time. So various teams on the Earth have been literally working around clock to put together Project Iris. What is the outcome of this project? And please share your thoughts of it.
• Because of how rushed the whole project is, coupled with the lack of sufficient testing, Project Iris ends up a failure. I'm sure everyone who's been involved in it, from the management to the hyper-caffeinated technicians is utterly disheartened by this disaster. As for Watney, I think it's a even bigger blow, as this project is practically the only hope for his survival until Ares 4 crew arrive on Mars. Knowing he's most likely to run out of food and starve to death, he starts to write what can only be described as "farewell letters" to his teammates and commander.
2. CHAPTER 16
• With the failure of Project Isis, everyone is devastated. But, the show must go on. So the Chinese step in to lend a helping hand. The higher-ups at NASA are presented with two rescue options, one risky, and the other riskier. Who is it that makes the final decision? And how?
• It is Commander Lewis who makes the final decision. The "whatever his name is" Maneuver was encoded into a secret message, disguised as a jpeg file, and sent to the Hermes, "allegedly" by Mitch. Though Lewis explains what this mission may entail and ask her crew to seriously give it a thought and decide whether they really want to be on board with it, she is convinced no one will back out from their "new" mission.
3. CHAPTER 17
• The end is near. Watney is going to Schiaparelli Crater, but not so fast. He first needs to do a shitload of preparation. However, during this process, what fatal mistake does he make?
• He has a LOT of holes to drill. NO PUN INTENDED! During one session, he puts the drill right next to the pathfinder. Because of this, the electric current on the drill passes through all the sensitive components in the Pathfinder, and fry them. The result is the Pathfinder is no longer functional, meaning Watney has lost communication to the Earth.
4. CHAPTER 18
• Even with one setback after another, Watney is still fighting to survive. If he is not a tenacious son of a bitch, I truly do not know what he is. Anyway, all the physical labor has taken its toll on Watney's back. What does he do to relieve the pain? And how does he do it?
• He runs himself a hot bath. Basically he modifies a bunk to make it a water-tight bathtub, and uses the RTG to heat up the water. The "Ahhhhh" sound is just practically audible.
5. CHAPTER 19
• This chapter is not about Watney, not directly anyway; it happens on the Hermes -- the crew are having "FaceTime" with their family, and in Jiuquan -- Taiyang Shen is ready for launch. According to Johanssen's FaceTime with her father, what kind of "plan" has been made? Any thoughts on this?
• In event of a critical failure, all crew members will commit suicide except for Johanssen. While the actual food supplies are not enough for get her through the trip back to earth, the bodies of the then deceased crew will be an alternative. This is an ultimately bone-chilling revelation. I can't even begin to imagine how it is possible to eat the flesh of someone you have worked with and spent some much time together. But on the other hand, I genuinely can, because I know the sheer force of will for survival. I remember when I got here in my first reading I instantly associated it with another book, Life of Pi. How far would you go in order to survive? I'd say as far as it could get. This is already not something we can think about with reasons or logic.
6. CHAPTER 20
• Why does Watney give himself the title "Space Pirate"?
• When Watney is not in the Hab, he is basically on "international waters", thus bound only by certain laws. And when he takes control of the MAV for Ares 4, he technically takes over a spacecraft. And that makes him a "space pirate".
• One problem in the Sirius 4 mission has been the uncomfortably tight space in the rover. Since this time, the trip is going to be significantly longer, what does he do to make sure this problem does not repeat itself?
• He is going to make a "bedroom". The blow-out tent is too small for that, so he cuts some canvas from the Hab to make a "wall" and a "ceiling" for the bedroom. And then he reseals everything and bam, a bedroom with enough space he has.
7. CHAPTER 21
• This is the last chapter before Watney officially leaves for Schiaparelli Crater. Please summarize the THREE main activities he has accomplished in this final stage of his preparation.
a. Packing his rover and trailer.
b. Test runs to simulate the actual journey towards Schiaparelli Crater, like energy consumption, recharge time.
c. Shutting down the Hab for good.