Not really. Drilling and analyzing on site will allow to decide on further investigation without delay.

Hopefully, it will find a way to pay for itself.

For some reason I thought they were looking for organic compounds or other molecules which would allow for the presence of life. Shows what I know.

Just read the link to wikipedia's article on "unobtainium."

My first contact with the word was working with a computer-room tech on Wall Street who had served as a military motor-pool mechanic in Vietnam. According to him, it was in general use to describe replacement parts and materials that were frequently out of stock for extended periods.

By the way, if we do discover some amazing material on Mars, it'll still be on Mars, and hence, still pretty much unobtainable. It's not like it's going to ship itself here. Although... every once in awhile, a meteor crashes to Earth that scientists are pretty sure originated on Mars. If Mars was full of unobtanium, it's possible we would have found some here on Earth by now.

@3:

That's exactly right. The oxidation that occurs on the surface (responsible for Mars' reddish hue) destroys organic compounds. So, if you want to seek out evidence of past life, you have to get below that oxidation layer and into the deeper rock.

Drill, baby, drill! It's time to start harvesting other planets/moons/asteroid belts...but what is Obama doing about it? Nothing.

No moon base. No giant space station plans. No near light-speed capable ships. No invention of gap drives...(unless you count this http://www.gap-power.com/gap-drive.html ...which I DON"T!)

I took one look at the blurb and went "they want to get samples of uneroded rock in case there are minerals that the atmosphere degrades".

Dinosaur bones?

@8 really big ones. But they had three eye horns.

@8 No, no, no... Martian dinosaurs are just a big lie! The lack of life on Mars was created only 6'000 years ago...

@10 Are you starting a cult?

@11 hmmm, well...do you think I've got a shot? I AM looking for extra income/personal worshipers/validation of my "saviour-complex". The trick would be finding any earth-bound Martians. Know any?

Either MacGuffene or MacGuffane would be swell to locate.