As the world remains gripped by the fortunes of the InSight lander on Mars, NASA has revealed that it prepared the lander for its journey by showing it Matt Damon space-allotment classic The Martian.
Nervous before its historic journey to Mars following previous lander Schiaparelli crashing and exploding, scientists sought to reassure InSight by showing that if Matt Damon can survive on Mars, then a sophisticated piece of NASA technology should have no problem.
“It was nervous,” said NASA scientist Jessica Mara.
“If course it was, who wouldn’t be if you’re travelling forty million miles to land on a hostile planet full of creatures hell-bent on the destruction of humanity.
“Actually, can you forget I said that last bit. I meant to say ‘desolate and empty planet.’”
However, film-fan Jessica came up with the plan to show The Martian and InSight soon calmed down.
“Yes, and when we watched that bit where Matt Damon used his poo to grow potatoes we had a good laugh about how InSight was incapable of defecation so would be unable to grow a potato.
The situation was, of course, made all the funnier by InSight being a piece of technology that would have no need for a potato.
“That’s right,” laughed Jessica.
“Besides, it prefers pasta.”
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