Well, it looks like NASA is sending its Mars rovers on increasingly dangerous missions (or look here for another story, complete with daggy intro). I’m really impressed with all the information these rovers have recovered, but I have to say it is fun to think about how much more a geologist on the ground could do than a small robot. Any field geologist could have completed all the tasks done by the rovers and more in a few hours (including walking) with a hammer and a hand lens. Having done a little field work myself, you come to realize how much interpretation is constantly happening as you walk around. For me, an essential part of field work was always seeing the big picture and the ability to constantly check interpretations by visiting many different rock outcrops. I imagine this process to be severely limited by looking through a camera and having only limited mobility and vision.

Even putting a few real geologists back on the moon would have a big payoff in terms of earth and planetary science. I’ll be watching carefully where Bush’s plan for lunar exploration will take us in the next few years.