[Conference] 20 November 2025 - Roland Lehoucq: can we really stay alone on Mars?

As part of the joint conferences organised by Avignon Université and the Café des Sciences, Roland Lehoucq, astrophysicist at the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), will be giving a talk on the theme of "Can we really stay on Mars alone? on Thursday 20 November 2025.

The film Alone on Mars (R. Scott, 2015) shows us how the hero, Mark Watney, tries to survive on Mars using his ingenuity and scientific knowledge. With NASA announcing a manned flight to Mars in the next few decades, it's interesting to consider the question of survival for a group of human explorers in the hostile conditions that prevail on the surface of the Red Planet. We can't help but wonder whether what the film shows is realistic. Can a Martian storm do so much damage? How can water be produced on Mars? Can potatoes be grown there? What does the surface of Mars really look like? Together, let's try to answer the question "Can we stay alone on Mars"?

• Thursday 20 November 2025, 8pm to 9.30pm
• Free admission with registration at contact@cafesciences-avignon.fr
• Avignon University, Hannah Arendt campus, city centre site, south building, AT01