บท 72: Sol Ninety-Nine, Precious Land

Tang Yue and Tomcat drove the Mars Wanderer around Kunlun Station, labeling and retrieving samples from the soil beneath them in sequence. As a transportation vehicle, the Mars Wanderer was undoubtedly lacking, but as a research apparatus, it was probably the most complex and expensive geolab in human history.

Ignoring the cost of delivering it to Mars, just the cost of building it was 400 million American dollars.

Apart from the driving and engine systems, most of the expenditure was on the experiment module which didn't have any driving force. All it had were four wheels, allowing it to be dragged along. On it was almost all the functions one needed for any testing. From surveying and mapping to drilling to spectroscopy, to carbon and hydrogen analysis, these intricate and expensive apparatuses made for an all-rounded geolab with power delivered by solar panels.