Summary

Mark needs to get to Ares 4 which is 3,200 km away. The MAV is already there because MAVs are sent ahead so there is time for the fuel build-up ahead of the crew’s arrival. His only way to get there is on a rover which isn’t built for long journeys. It’s freezing on Mars so heating will be a problem. Mark names his experimental rover missions “Sirius.” In Sirius 1 he starts out with fully charged batteries and solar cells on the roof. He finds that it’s too cold without the heater which drains too much energy. Sirius 1 is a failure. Mark straps the battery from Rover 1 onto Rover 2 for extra power and successfully test drives it. He dubs it Sirius 2 and a success. He removes some of the solar cells from their lattice and stacks them on the roof of...