The Martian - Podcast People

When is comes to the question of, did the crew do the right thing by abandoning their search for Mark when he got lost in the huge dust storm, I would have to agree that when the time came to make that decision, it was the only choice that would have led to less casualties or any other harm that could have been done to them if they had possibly stayed. They stayed for as long as they possibly could, and they didn't give up their attempt to search and find Mark in the time frame that they had. You would have to think about how much pressure is put on the captain, because in moments like this it is your job to provide the best knowledge as to what would be best for the group that is still together, or it could lead to not only one person in harm or danger, but the entire team and being the commander you are responsible for the lives of your crew members. I can't really see their being sort of an alternative solution to the situation given that the conditions could have killed them all. Maybe you could have left some crew members behind to keep on the search and possibly leave and plan a mission for an escape for the members left behind, but at the time they didn't know if Mark was already dead or alive. Just having that thought alone, you could already see how stressful that would make the situation, so i believe that the decision to abandon Mark was the only solution that would have been the safest for the remaining crew members.