content: With just a tiny handful of exceptions everything in the Martian is based heavily on very near future or present day technology and knowledge. For instance the orbital mechanics were so precisely described that an astronomer was able to accurately determine the exact day the crew launched even though dates are never specifically stated in the book in current day terminology. And the stuff that was faked makes Mars even more viable. In particular the big poo poo was what caused the initial disaster. Mars does not, can not, have wind storms as shown in the movie and described in the book. The lack of an atmosphere means the most violent of dust storms would be the equivalent of a gentle breeze in Earth's atmosphere - certainly no where near enough to damage infrastructure. Coming up with an initial disaster was actually one of the single most challenging aspects of the book!