Thirteen months after the launch, the
fully fueled spacecraft ERV sits on the surface of Mars, waiting for the arrival of the
human crew. Scientists will oversee the entire chemical production process and give
the clearance for the next phase when the entire process is complete. The ERV will
deploy robots who will photograph and explore the Martian terrain. After months of
exploration and seismic testing, an ideal landing spot will be picked and one robot will
traverse the terrain and place a radar transponder at the landing spot to guide the crew
of the next spaceship.