How did they film the zero gravity scenes in the Martian?

While the Ridley Scott-directed film involved its fair share of CGI and “invisible” wires to make the actors appear as though they were floating about in space, sometimes they used simpler means to achieve the weightless look. “You’re ‘in space,’ and you act while you’re standing on one foot and moving slowly.

What is the vomit comet that NASA uses in astronaut training?

KC-135
Flying on NASA’s KC-135 aircraft, affectionately known to astronauts as the “vomit comet,” now nicknamed the “weightless wonder,” soon will give teachers and students a chance to study the effects of weightlessness.

What machine does Watney use to communicate with NASA?

the Mars Pathfinder
So in order to gain contact with NASA, Watney digs up the Mars Pathfinder, the probe which NASA lost contact with in 1997. He fixes it (woo!) and the probe is able to communicate with Earth. Through a camera on the Pathfinder, Watney is able to speak to NASA through messages he writes and shows to it.

How did the actors float in the Martian?

All of our zero gravity moments are cheated with stunt wire work. We never did the sort of things that they did on Apollo 13, when they took them up in what they call the ‘Vomit Comet’, which gives the weightlessness. You get 40 seconds of weightlessness to perform a scene, and then go back up again and do it again.

Did they film away in zero gravity?

Away did the latter. Filming in studios in Vancouver, Canada, the team built a real set for the interior shots of the spaceship. For the space scenes, they attached each actor to multiple wires to simulate the zero gravity movement.

How much does it cost to fly on the vomit comet?

Flying on our specially modified Boeing 727, you will experience a weightless environment that allows you to float, flip, and soar like an astronaut. Book The Zero-G Experience® now for $7500 + 5\% tax per person.

Does the vomit comet still fly?

The latest of NASA’s KC-135A aircraft, dubbed the Vomit Comet by the press, made its final microgravity flight Oct. 29 and will be retired at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Oct. But it is the only one of its kind still flying, and it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain the plane.