The most recent images from the HiRISE telescopic camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows real regions on Mars that are associated with the new film "The Martian."
One of the images show a plain area on the red planet called Acidalia Planitia. In the movie, it is the place where the stranded astronaut, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), is reportedly located. The protagonist was stranded after a storm caused his team to evacuate the "Ares 3" mission. To survive, he must travel 3,200 km, alone, towards a crater named Schiaparelli - the landing site for "Ares 4" mission, and his only chance of coming back to Earth, according to Daily Mail.
The movie is based on the novel by Andy Weir, who personally asked NASA to take the time to capture the actual images he has written about, according to the official HiRISE website.
In fact, the HiRISE team has an online process through which anyone can register to submit suggestions for sites to be imaged on Mars, also found in the HiRISE website.
HiRISE and its observations will be used during an Oct. 27-30 workshop in Houston for consideration of landing areas for real future human missions, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Complete images from the HiRISE telescopic camera can be viewed here.
