1) Mars Pathfinder mission was launched in winter of 1996 by NASA. The main objectives of this mission were the following: – deliver scientific payload on Mars in a very low budget and condensed terms; – demonstrate mobility, usefulness and effectiveness of micro rover in the research of the planet; – micro rover had to research the surface of the planet. The objectives of this mission were successfully achieved and even exceeded. One of the most important discoveries of Mars Pathfinder is that “Mars was at one time in its past warm and wet, with water existing in its liquid state and a thicker atmosphere” .
Two Mars Exploration Rovers, Opportunity and Spirit, were launched in summer of 2003 by NASA. The main objective of this mission is to research history of water on Mars by analyzing the surface of the planet. These rovers analyze soils, minerals and rocks simultaneously in the opposite sides of Mars “that appear to have been affected by liquid water in the past” . Additionally the Rovers shed light on the following questions: climate and geology of the planet, possibility of life on the planet and other information that can be useful in the preparation of human descent.
I consider that the main differences of the above described Mars missions are the following: – the main objectives are different because Pathfinder has found the tracks of liquid water on the planet and its followers, Rovers, researched the history of liquid water on the planet; – Pathfinder originally was designed not only for performing scientific objectives, but for demonstrating its technical abilities and its cheapness.

The main discoveries of the Mars Rovers: 1. they proved that there was water on Mars; 2. they found that life was possible on Mars; 3. they found water vapour; 4. they found some minerals which Earth scientists don’t recognize; 5. they found evidence of microbial activity.
2) Today NASA facing the following problems concerning International Space Station: 1. Growth of the costs under the prime contract because of many reasons including problems with planning; 2. There were performance problems with Russian spares several times already. In order to solve these problems I can make the following recommendations: 1. Improve the financial and technical control requirements and estimations because it can be concluded that some participants do not meet them or this control is not enough effective. 2. Provide financial audit of the project in order to find the origins of budget deficit and try to not admit such miscalculations in future. 3. Introduce financial responsibility for the participants of the project which do not keep to the terms of the contract and provide basis for exception of continuous violators in future. 4. Find the ways of saving money in order to reduce budget deficit. 5. Improve management systems of the project. 6. Find other investors in order to obtain funds.

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