botany
the scientific study of plants and their structures
interplanetary
travelling between planets
diplomats
representatives of one country stationed in another country; ambassadors
treaty
settlement between people or states
colonized
settled; "civilized"; made to support the growth of crops and other needs of human life
commandeer
seize, sometimes by force
thermodynamics
the scientific study of forms and transfers of energy
entropy
the arrangement of particles and their tendencies toward order or disorder
sours
become unpleasant
command module
a control compartment of a spacecraft
maritime
near the sea
radiation
the release of energy caused by particulate decay; a term in physics and chemistry
fundamentally
most importantly
vacuum
a void of nothingness, as in parts of outer space
barren
infertile; incapable of supporting growth
Hab
NASA's portable, collapsible Martian "colony," where Watney lives and works
sol
a day as experienced on Mars, as opposed to on Earth
MAV and MDV
Mars Ascent Vehicle and Mars Descent Vehicle; rockets used in the novel for travel from and to Mars's surface
CNSA
the Chinese National Space Administration
NASA
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)
