[davisfh]

"Six astronauts will make the trip in a low-budget craft based on a Russian Zvezda module carrying a 70-ton landing unit and a rover."

I see this as a recipe for disaster. In my opinion, a mission to Mars will take many years. Materiel will have to be deposited on the planet over a period of several years (habitat material, food, water, medical supplies and everything essential to life) and it will be necessary to verify that the materiel has arrived in usuable condition. I don't see this as a mission wherein a few astronauts will be launched to Mars and retrieved a few months later. Their survivability needs to be reasonably assured. Otherwise, we need to launch a few Muslims. They appear to me to be suicidal and would probably be happy to undertake this mission as long as Allah approves.

[tet68]

One has only to say the words, "Mars was once Islamic." to
see them go for it.

[Viking2002]

Granted, Mars resembles a good portion of the Middle East, terrain-wise, but sending heathens is a bad isea. We're liable to land there a few years later, and be greeted by hostile Martians wearing suicide belts. LOL