Bimodal NTR Mars mission (2001) Part Four Landing site overview: a mist shrouded morning, spring 2015. In the image the Cargo-Lander with its in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) propellant plant and Mars Ascent Vehicle is visible on the left. The Crew & Habitat-Lander is visible on the right. Center-foreground the teleoperated cart containing the base nuclear power source sits positioned in a gully to take advantage of natural shielding provided by steep rock walls. When the crew boards their ascent vehicle they will leave behind a functional base– the in-situ propellant plant, Habitat, and nuclear power plant will act as the foundation for future exploration. I find it appropriate to paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke: “thus far we have only cautiously tested the waters” – and complete that thought with the certainty that our next steps require a commitment, that manned exploration of a meaningful scale comes with a cost – along with rewards of enduring benefit to generations to come. I want to thank everyone who has commented and followed the series – and for those who have not, the previous posts can be found at the following links: Bimodal NTR Mars mission (2001) Part One Bimodal NTR Mars mission (2001) Part Two Bimodal NTR Mars mission (2001) Part Three Resource Image Credits: Mars surface textures and modeled Bryce terrain features use elements cropped and blended from NASA Mars lander and surface rover mission images, including Viking, Phoenix, and Spirit, as well as elements from ESA Mars Express images, which were used to modify terrain profiles and provide granularity of texture. ESA image use guidelines require individual and specific image source identification and credit. The following image files provided texture source material: ESA Source Photo Credit, ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) image ID number, SEMTKGOR9HG, image ID number SEMLGLCUE1G, image ID number SEMA73VTGVF, image ID number SEMW7HLZLAG, image ID number SEMOGT5DHNF.