To make the final selection, they augmented data from previous Mars orbiter missions with new data returned from the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter, which relayed images of the target sector in June. What scientists do know is that Mars was once nothing like the dry wasteland it is today. Viking provided compelling data on Mars' geology, atmospheric water vapor and surface meteorology, but it was limited to the planet's mid-latitude region. When you're planning for any trip, you figure out where you want to go, plot your course on the map, get together all of your gear and make necessary provisions. By summer, with the lander still five months from its final destination, the pace in Westwood is frenetic.
Laboratory tests are one thing, but whether they'll behave the same way on Mars is another.
Last January, trying their best to simulate Martian conditions on Earth, Paige and a colleague journeyed to Antarctica's dry valley regions to test the capabilities of the robotic arm to dig samples out of the cold, dry soil. So far, so good. In mid July the flight team began initial operational readiness tests, using copycat versions of the spacecraft and instrument components to simulate the first four days of the surface mission. Still, no amount of preparation can ensure a smooth mission. Most problems are indeed solvable, but with a full plate of experiments to run, significant delays could prevent the job from being completed.