Mission Mars by Janet L. Cannon Page B

detached from the Constellation. Instantly, its engines fired, separating it from the mothership. It fell quickly towards the red planet below.
    After a short while, the probe’s engines shut down and the breaking retro rockets fired. Lander tilted and adjusted itself to the correct angle for the descent onto Mar as Earth’s sixty-two percent normal gravity started to tug at the probe. The heat shield on the craft’s underside glowed, and over the next three minutes decelerated from 16,300 miles per hour to 900. The heat shield ejected and three dark grey parachutes opened, dropping the speed even further. Then the parachutes and small manoeuvring engines stabilised the probe. It hovered above the uneven boulder strewn surface.
    Retro fires adjusted the attitude and direction of the craft. Then the artificial intelligence, the heart of the probe’s guidance system, activated for the final descent to the surface. Hovering over a flat boulderless plain, the Lander, its struts outstretched, slowly descended the last few metres onto Mars. The engines disengaged. An antenna fanned out slowly like an opening flower in the morning sun. It was ready.
    Above, in the orbiting mother ship, Carla, Oleg, and Chen waited expectantly for the first signal from the Mars surface.
    â€œThe probe is down. All systems nominal. Surface temperature twenty degrees Celsius. Toasty. At least for Mars,” announced Oleg. Oleg was always cheerful, which was one of the reasons he was picked for the first manned Mars mission. That, and his brilliance as a test pilot with the Russian Air Force.
    â€œCan you give me some visuals on the landing site?” asked Carla.
    â€œYes, Commander.” Oleg activated a large wall monitor. In an instant, colour footage of Mars appeared. For a while, none of them spoke while they took in the view of the strange, dead alien world full of broken boulders and pastel colours. They had all seen photos and video footage of Mars from the many unmanned missions that had gone before over the last century, but it wasn’t the same as viewing it from their vantage point poised in orbit directly above the planet.
    Carla broke the silence, “Perfect. Looks nice and flat.”
    â€œYes, Commander. Wind speed twenty miles an hour. Reasonable.”
    â€œExcellent. Stand by for Chen and I to board the Mars Lander. How is the inbound cargo ship?” she added.
    Chen headed to the Lander as Oleg replied. “All okay, Commander. The unmanned cargo ship and our Mars habitat from Earth will come down on your beacon seventy-two hours from now. Everything is on schedule.”
    â€œOk. Chen, on my way. Are you ready to go?”
    A faint crackle erupted over the radio, followed by the clear male voice of the Chinese Lander pilot. “In harness and ready to go when you are Commander.”
    â€œI’m on my way.” Carla unstrapped her buckles from the command chair and floated in Zero G towards her cosmonaut compatriot. Oleg put his hand out to shake his American commander’s hand.
    He grinned, “Make sure you and Chen park the Lander gently. The paint work is new.”
    Carla smiled back at him and shook his hand, “Take care, Oleg. You’re on your own now.”
    â€œYou know me.” Oleg winked at Carla. “Chosen for myeasy going temperament and ability to function in isolation of others. At least that’s what the psychological profile said.”
    She raised her eyebrows in mock exasperation. After six months together, the assumptions in their psychological reports had been well tested. Carla patted Oleg on the shoulder, “See you in two weeks.” She floated down a series of metallic corridors and opened the hatch separating the ship from the Lander. After resealing the hatch, she floated into the Mars Lander and took her seat next to Chen.
    â€œGlad you could join me, Commander.” Chen watched Carla strap herself in. With the last buckle in