Snowing on Mars

        http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/sep/HQ_08246_Phoenix.html

Phoenix home page.

        http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html


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The Phoenix has the advantages of being far far less costly than a manned mission and, extremely importantly, achievable within the existing scientific, engineering and political frameworks. 
As an unmanned scientific probe it's discoveries and capabilities are marvellous. Compared to what could be achieved with a manned presence it's abilities are less than pathetic.Moving a rock aside with the 'robotic arm' to 'look' underneath it and analysing soil and establishing strong indications of the presence of carbonate are recent highlights. Such things would be so much part of a greater whole for a manned mission as to be an exceedingly small fraction of the overall mission results. Of course there's a place for manned and unmanned missions - we don't have the combined will and ability to put a manned mission on Mars yet, so an unmanned lander makes sense. And the cost ratio is 'attractive". But never let "them" tell you that unmanned missions can achieve more than a mere shadow of what a manned mission could achieve - given the willpower, and the cash. (FWIW - the cost benefit ratios are in many cases very roughly equivalent.)



Russell



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