Explore the real-world places that appear in The Martian by Andy Weir. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Johnson Space Center, Mission Control Center (Building 30), Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (Building 9), Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, Space Center Houston and 6 more.
2101 NASA Parkway — Headquarters of NASA's human spaceflight program
Johnson Space Center is the hub of the Ares 3 rescue effort. Teddy Sanders, NASA's director, Venkat Kapoor, head of Mars Operations, and Mitch Henderson, the Ares 3 flight director, debate how to tell the world that Mark Watney is alive and how to save him. Annie Montrose handles the press while Mindy Park, the satellite planner, first notices the Hab's rovers have moved and realizes Watney survived.
Johnson Space Center opened in 1963 as the Manned Spacecraft Center and was renamed in 1973 for President Lyndon B. Johnson. It has directed American human spaceflight from Gemini through Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station.
The center remains NASA's human spaceflight hub and is home to the astronaut corps and Mission Control. The visitor complex Space Center Houston is open to the public and offers tram tours of key facilities.
Visit: Space Center Houston (museum)
Johnson Space Center — Where the Ares 3 flight controllers work
The Mission Control room is where flight controllers monitor Watney's status and plan each resupply and rescue step. Mitch Henderson and his team work around the clock on the Hermes rendezvous, and Venkat Kapoor pushes through high-risk decisions. Staff erupt in cheers and tears as the final rescue in orbit succeeds.
The Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center in Building 30 has guided human spaceflight since Gemini 4 in 1965. The historic Mission Control Room was used for Apollo missions, including Apollo 11 and Apollo 13.
The Historic Mission Control Center was restored for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and is a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can see it on the Space Center Houston tram tour.
Visit: Historic Mission Control Center (historic site)
Johnson Space Center — Full-scale spacecraft training mockups
Astronaut training in the novel includes simulations of EVAs and habitat operations like those the Ares crew rehearsed. Commander Melissa Lewis, Beck, Johannsen, Martinez, Vogel, and Watney trained for their Mars mission in facilities modeled on this type of environment. The crew's preparation underlies Watney's later ability to improvise repairs and solve problems alone.
Building 9 houses full-scale mockups of the International Space Station modules and spacecraft used for crew training. Opened in the 1960s as part of the Manned Spacecraft Center, it has been updated for each generation of programs.
Building 9 continues to be used to train astronauts and test hardware, including Orion mockups. Tours of parts of the facility are available through NASA's special tours.
Sonny Carter Training Facility — Underwater EVA practice
The Ares crew's EVA skills are the foundation of Watney's survival and the crew's final rescue maneuvers. Underwater training in a large pool, like the real facility here, simulates microgravity during complex tasks. Watney's confidence in outside work on the Hab and the Mars Ascent Vehicle draws on this kind of preparation.
The NBL opened in 1997 and contains a 6.2-million-gallon pool holding full-size mockups of ISS modules. It is named for the Sonny Carter Training Facility, honoring astronaut Manley "Sonny" Carter.
The NBL is an active astronaut training facility and is not open for general public visits. It occasionally appears in NASA media events.
1601 NASA Parkway — Public face of NASA in Houston
Public fascination with Watney's plight sweeps the world in the novel as media coverage grows. Annie Montrose briefs reporters and manages the narrative while crowds gather to watch rescue updates. Space Center Houston stands as the real-world counterpart to the public's engagement with NASA's mission.
Space Center Houston opened in 1992 as the official visitor center for Johnson Space Center. It is a Smithsonian affiliate and houses artifacts including Apollo 17's command module and a Saturn V rocket.
The museum features Starship Gallery, Independence Plaza with the shuttle carrier aircraft, and tram tours of JSC. It is a major tourist attraction for space enthusiasts and families.
Visit: Space Center Houston (museum)
Johnson Space Center — Historic moon rocket exhibit
The novel's rescue depends on heroic engineering and bold decisions that echo the Apollo-era spirit. Rich Purnell, the eccentric astrodynamicist, devises the Rich Purnell Maneuver that sends Hermes back to Mars. The Saturn V symbolizes the legacy of human spaceflight that Watney's survival story continues.
The Saturn V on display at JSC is one of only three remaining flight-ready vehicles, assembled from stages built for Apollo 18, 19, and 20 that were canceled. The Saturn V Complex building opened in 1996.
The Saturn V Complex is part of the Space Center Houston tour and displays the full-length rocket suspended horizontally. Visitors can walk beneath its enormous stages.
Visit: Saturn V Complex at Space Center Houston (museum)
Space Center Houston — Outdoor rocket display
Public interest in Watney, nicknamed the 'Space Pirate' by the media, makes him a worldwide celebrity. Crowds follow the Hermes rendezvous on screens across the world. Rocket Park embodies the public gathering places where people would watch the rescue unfold.
Rocket Park features rockets from the early American space program, including Mercury-Redstone and Little Joe II, and is part of the JSC visitor area.
Rocket Park is open as part of Space Center Houston and displays a collection of historical vehicles. It is a popular photo spot for visitors.
Visit: Rocket Park (park)
Johnson Space Center — Tribute to fallen astronauts
The danger of spaceflight is felt strongly after the storm that forces the Ares 3 crew to abort and leave Watney behind, believed dead. Commander Lewis carries the burden of leaving him. A memorial to fallen astronauts parallels the mourning NASA holds when it first announces Watney's death.
The Astronaut Memorial Grove at JSC honors astronauts who died in service, including the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia crews. Trees were planted for each fallen astronaut.
The grove is a quiet memorial within JSC grounds, generally accessible only through official tours or events.
Merritt Island, Florida — Real-world launch site analogue
Ares missions launch crews and supplies to space, and the Ares 3 mission in the book is supported by launch operations like those at Kennedy. The Hermes resupply probe built in a rush after the Iris failure launches from Earth to give the crew a chance to rescue Watney. The Chinese Taiyang Shen probe and NASA's cooperation show launch operations as a global effort.
Kennedy Space Center has been NASA's primary launch center for human spaceflight since 1962. It launched the Apollo missions to the Moon and the Space Shuttle, and now hosts commercial missions.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers tours, the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, and the Apollo/Saturn V Center. It is one of Florida's top tourist attractions.
Visit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (museum)
Pasadena, California — Mars mission engineering
JPL stands in for the real-world Mars robotics community that Watney's Pathfinder rescue echoes. Watney digs up the Sojourner rover and Pathfinder lander to establish radio contact with Earth. JPL's scientists and engineers help NASA understand the ancient hardware that opens communication.
JPL was founded in 1936 by Caltech rocketry researchers and became part of NASA in 1958. It built and operates Mars rovers including Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance.
JPL remains NASA's lead center for robotic planetary exploration. Public tours are offered occasionally, and the visitor outreach includes open house events.
Jordan — Real-world filming location for Mars scenes
The Martian landscape of Acidalia Planitia and the Ares 3 Hab at Mars's surface are brought to life in the 2015 film adaptation using this desert. Watney drives the rover across thousands of kilometers to reach Schiaparelli crater and the Ares 4 MAV. The rust-red terrain mirrors the vast isolation Watney faces.
Wadi Rum is a protected desert valley in southern Jordan, carved by wind and water and inhabited for thousands of years. It was the setting for Lawrence of Arabia and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wadi Rum Protected Area attracts visitors for jeep tours, camel treks, and desert camps. The area hosts guided tours of film sites including the Martian shoot locations.
Visit: Wadi Rum Protected Area (tour)
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