25 The Martian Quotes for Those Curious About Life on Mars

This list of The Martian quotes will give you a sneak peek of Mark Watney’s incredible and once-in-a-lifetime journey outside our planet!

Have you ever imagined being stuck on another planet with no one else to lean on? This might never happen in the lifetimes of ordinary people like us, but for astronauts, it’s something they have to prepare and train for.

In The Martian, this is exactly what happens to Mark Watney. He gets stranded on Mars, and his team assumes he is dead, so Mark has to think of ingenious ways to survive and signal to Earth that he’s still alive.

The movie allows us to go along with Mark on his journey. At the same time, it also teaches us about humanity’s resilience, hope, and ingenuity.

We’ve gathered the best of the best quotes from the movie and the book. So, if you’re curious about how everything came to a close, make sure you read through to the end!

And don’t forget to check out these Interstellar quotes and Tenet quotes.

Best The Martian Quotes

1. Teddy Sanders: “We’re fighting the same war. Every time something goes wrong, the world forgets why we fly. I’m trying to keep us airborne. It’s bigger than one person.”

Mitch Henderson: “No. It’s not.”

Teddy Sanders: “When this is over, I’ll expect your resignation.”

Mitch Henderson: “I understand.”

Teddy Sanders: “Bring our astronauts home.”

2. “In the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option. I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.” – Dr. Mark Watney

3. “If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it’s found in every culture without exception. Yes, there are assholes who just don’t care, but they’re massively outnumbered by the people who do.” – Dr. Mark Watney

4. “I don’t want to come off as arrogant here, but I’m the greatest botanist on this planet.” – Dr. Mark Watney

5. “I did, in fact, survive on a deserted planet by farming in my own shit. Yes, it’s actually worse than it sounds. So, let’s not talk about that ever again.” – Dr. Mark Watney

6. “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. Alright, questions?” – Dr. Mark Watney

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

8. “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.” – Dr. Mark Watney

9. “It’s a strange feeling. 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! Kick a rock? That rock hadn’t moved in a million years! I’m the first guy to drive long-distance on Mars. The first guy to spend more than 31 sols on Mars. The first guy to grow crops on Mars. First, first, first!” – Dr. Mark Watney

10. “I’m the first person to be alone on an entire planet.” – Dr. Mark Watney

The Martian Quotes That Will Widen Your Imagination

11. “Mars will come to fear my botany powers.” – Dr. Mark Watney

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

13. “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.” – Dr. Mark Watney

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

15. “What are we gonna say, ‘Dear America, remember that astronaut we killed and had a really nice funeral for? Turns out he’s alive, and we left him on Mars. Our bad. Sincerely, NASA.’” – Annie Montrose

16. “I’ve got to make a lot more water. The good thing is, I know the recipe. You take hydrogen, you add oxygen, and you burn. Now, I have hundreds of liters of unused hydrazine at the MDV. If I run the hydrazine over an iridium catalyst, it’ll separate into N2 and H2. And then, if I just direct the hydrogen into a small area and burn it. Luckily, in the history of humanity, nothing bad has ever happened from lighting hydrogen on fire.” – Dr. Mark Watney

17. “If the oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of implode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So, yeah. Yeah.” – Dr. Mark Watney

The Martian Quotes From the Novel to Bookmark

18. “My terrifying struggle to stay alive became somehow routine.” – Andy Weir, Author

19. “Yes, of course, duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.” – Andy Weir, Author

20. “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.” – Andy Weir, Author

21. “Sirius 1 was aborted after one hour. I guess you could call it a ‘failure,’ but I prefer the term ‘learning experience.’” – Andy Weir, Author

22. “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.” – Andy Weir, Author

23. “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.” – Andy Weir, Author

24. “It’s true, you know. In space, no one can hear you scream like a little girl.” – Andy Weir, Author

25. “It wasn’t your fault. In your position, I would have done the same thing. I don’t blame you, and I’m glad you survived.” – Andy Weir, Author

What Would You Do if You Were in Mark Watney’s Shoes?

Imagine being all alone in a foreign land; though it’s hard for many already, it’s just a speck of dust compared to being completely isolated on an uninhabited planet. Unfortunately for Mark, it was something he had to go through.

In The Martian, we get a glimpse of life when we’re completely isolated. As social beings, it’s a big challenge; we rely on each other for comfort, after all.

Life on Mars is hard, but Mark Watney overcame all his trials and was able to go back to Earth. His knowledge of science and space helped him immensely, but his resilience and hope were the main factors that helped him carry on.

Through his life story, we can understand that trials can strike us at any moment. So, we have to be prepared, do our best to overcome them, and believe that miracles, like our troubles, can happen at any moment, too.

Let The Martian and Mark Watney guide you through whatever obstacle you’ll face in life. There’s a slim chance that you’ll get stuck alone on Mars, but still, the lessons the movie imparted are worth remembering!

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Karen Danao

Hi, I’m Karen, a content curator and writer for Quote Ambition; I’m also a marketing and advertising professional. Beyond the keyboard and the screen, I’m someone who’s out to enjoy every bit that life has to offer!

Poetry, philosophy, history, and movies are all topics I love writing about! However, my true passion is in traveling, photography, and finding common ground to which everyone from different cultures can relate.

With the many places I’ve been to, I found that love, inspiration, and happiness are some things that bring people together. No matter how different we are on the outside, I’m a true believer that our emotions don’t lie; if you dig deep into our psyche, we’re all the same inside.

This belief was further amplified when I joined Quote Ambition. Through the quotes I’ve read, collected, organized, and written about, I found that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate.

We take from each others’ hearts and courage, and it’s through our individual experiences that we learn how to rise above our challenges and pain. In so many ways, Quote Ambition is a platform that allows people from all over the world to gain the inspiration they need anytime, anywhere!

You can find me on MuckRack and LinkedIn.