Summary of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

By C.B. Publishers

A high-quality summary of Andy Weir ́s book Project Hail Mary including chapter details and analysis of the main themes of the original book.
About the original book:
After The Martian (2011) and Artemis (2015), Andy Weir's third novel, Project Hail Mary, is released in 2021. Project Hail Mary is a real work of hard science fiction, featuring Weir's trademark blend of wit, scientific rigor, and technical speculation, as well as more speculative components of the genre, such as the depiction of human contact with extraterrestrial life. In 2020, the rights to a cinematic version of the novel were obtained.

Dr. Ryland Grace, a junior high school science teacher, wakes up with total amnesia on the Hail Mary interplanetary starship, the sole surviving member of a three-person crew, in the near future. Grace gradually recalls how his contentious academic study on extraterrestrials led to his enlistment in Project Hail Mary, a 12-light-year expedition to save mankind from the Tau Ceti solar system.

The sun on Earth is infected by Astrophage, an extraterrestrial life form that uses infrared light emission to travel a migratory pattern between the sun and Venus known as the Petrova Line. As a result of the Astrophage, mankind has just 26 years until agricultural failure, starvation, and climate change cut the world's population by half, resulting in utter extinction. Grace must figure out why Tau Ceti is unharmed by Astrophage and send data probes back to Earth to preserve civilization.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.B. Publishers
• Release date: Nov 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005447908

C.B. Publishers

"With certain books, one wonders: who will read them? And with certain people you wonder: what will they read? And finally, books and people meet ”.

Book preview

Summary

After The Martian (2011) and Artemis (2015), Andy Weir's third novel, Project Hail Mary, is released in 2021. Project Hail Mary is a real work of hard science fiction, featuring Weir's trademark blend of wit, scientific rigor, and technical speculation, as well as more speculative components of the genre, such as the depiction of human contact with extraterrestrial life. In 2020, the rights to a cinematic version of the novel were obtained.

Dr. Ryland Grace, a junior high school science teacher, wakes up with total amnesia on the Hail Mary interplanetary starship, the sole surviving member of a three-person crew, in the near future. Grace gradually recalls how his contentious academic study on extraterrestrials led to his enlistment in Project Hail Mary, a 12-light-year expedition to save mankind from the Tau Ceti solar system.

The sun on Earth is infected by Astrophage, an extraterrestrial life form that uses infrared light emission to travel a migratory pattern between the sun and Venus known as the Petrova Line. As a result of the Astrophage, mankind has just 26 years until agricultural failure, starvation, and climate change cut the world's population by half, resulting in utter extinction. Grace must figure out why Tau Ceti is unharmed by Astrophage and send data probes back to Earth to preserve civilization.

The Hail Mary, on the other hand, is on a sacrifice mission since the spacecraft doesn't have enough fuel to return. Grace recalls discovering Astrophage and preparing for Project Hail Mary as the mission's lead scientist, and he tries to figure out why Astrophage hasn't destroyed Tau Ceti but appears to be affecting every other star in the local galaxy as the story unfolds in a wry, first-person present tense and alternates scenes from the past and present.

Grace discovers an Eridian, a dog-sized spider-like extraterrestrial with hard mineral skin whom he calls Rocky and who is also the last surviving member of his crew, at Tau Ceti. Rocky and Grace learn to converse verbally with the assistance of translation software after first communicating via scale models. Rocky's home star is likewise contaminated with Astrophage, and he's to Tau Ceti for the same reason: to figure out how to prevent Astrophage from annihilating 40 Eridiani and all life on Rocky's home planet.

Humans and Eridians are both intelligent, though Eridians are blind and rely on highly developed sonar senses. They are also less technologically advanced than humans, despite having perfect memories and advanced engineering, and Rocky can make nearly anything out of xenon, a pure-xenon compound stronger than any material on Earth. Grace and Rocky are struck by how similar they are and create a close relationship based on their shared sense of humor.

––––––––

Grace's memory is improving, and the plot of his recalled past revolves around his discovery that Astrophage flocks to Venus to procreate in the planet's carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. Grace collaborates with Eva Stratt, the leader of Project Hail Mary, and a worldwide team of scientists on board a Chinese aircraft carrier to design an interstellar space ship, develop an Astrophage-powered engine, and prepare the crew for their one-way voyage to Tau Ceti.

Stratt explains progressively ethically complicated judgments as the mission develops, ranging from the conscription of unwilling specialists to the nuclear bombardment of the Antarctic ice shelf to give Earth more time, all in the cause of rescuing humanity.

––––––––

The two go to the planet Adrian, which is the opposite pole in Tau Ceti's own Petrova Line of migrating Astrophage, after Rocky constructs a network of tunnels onboard the Hail Mary. In a dangerous trip to acquire a sample of Astrophage from Adrian's atmosphere, the Hail Mary is destroyed, and Grace is almost killed when Rocky risks exposure to Earth's atmosphere to save him.

Grace is exposed to the ammonia-based Eridian atmosphere and badly burned as he saves Rocky by returning him to his pressurized compartments; Rocky suffers internal combustion due to the oxygen in Grace's air; Grace, in turn, is exposed to the ammonia-based Eridian atmosphere and badly burned as he saves Rocky by returning him to his pressurized compartments. Rocky and Grace learn that Astrophage has a natural predator, which Grace calls Taumoeba, while they recuperate from their injuries. Taumoeba maintains control over the Astrophage population, reducing its impact on Tau Ceti.

Grace remembers educating Martin DuBois and Dr. Annie Shapiro about Astrophage and assisting with the testing of their equipment. DuBois and Shapiro, the mission's scientist and backup scientist, were chosen for the mission because they have a rare DNA sequence that predicts coma resistance, which is important because the Hail Mary crew will be in medically induced comas for the four-year journey to Tau Ceti to avoid depression and psychosis.

When DuBois and Shapiro are murdered in an accidental explosion, Stratt compels Grace, who also possesses the coma resistance DNA marker, to take their place. When Grace refuses, Stratt administers a potent amnesiac and has him transported unconscious onto the Hail Mary for launch, stopping at nothing to secure the mission's success.

Grace is now attempting to reconcile his shame for not volunteering for the lethal-but-heroic mission with his wish to survive and preserve his pupils' lives, as well as the lives of all humanity.

Grace and Rocky discover that nitrogen kills Taumoeba, so they start breeding a nitrogen-resistant strain that can withstand the atmospheres of Venus and Three worlds, the contaminated planet in the 40 Eridani system.

Rocky fixes the Hail Mary's damage and gives Grace his additional Astrophage fuel. Grace and Rocky bid their goodbyes refueled and having successfully created nitrogen-resistant Taumoeba to manage the Astrophage on their home stars.

Grace discovers that the nitrogen-resistant Taumoeba has evolved the capacity to pass through xenonite as a side consequence of being cultured in xenonite tanks one month into his return voyage. Grace can restrain the Taumoeba and keep them from damaging his Astrophage fuel, but he is aware that Rocky's fuel tanks are built of xenonite, and Rocky is now likely trapped in space, putting his whole species in jeopardy once more.

Grace, as planned, fires the Hail Mary's four probes before returning to collect Rocky and transport him to Erid, knowing that he