h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That docu-drama on BBC1 this week, where they were travelling the solar system?
I was thinking of your work, as they spent a fair time on Mars. It wasn't bad actually.
The thing about Mars would be the dust. It would get everywhere.
I read a short story once, about the first men on Mars. The dust got into everything, the ship, the food, the water, the beds and the equiment. How do you keep it out? I suppose you could have complex air scrubbers in the airlock, but they would take up a lot of space and use precious air...

I didn't see much evidence of dust with Viking, just rocks: lots and lots of them. I did a previous story "Life On Mars" and I had slow dust in that. And in "The Margins of Mars" sand storms and sand rain, bit Duneish that. Thought I would give dust and sand a miss this time. Still its early days yet and as I am inclined to take your advice I feel a dust storm looming.

thanks again,

Les.

I did see a bit of the Mars thingy. One thing really annoyed me. Mission control was giving the crew on Mars forewarning of an active Sun burst: radiation and radio communciation both travel at the speed of light, the warning could only come after the radiation had reached them. Talk about closing the barn door after the horse has bolted?

The graphics were good, although I wish they wouldn't make Mars seem so bright. It's a dull place; lux-wise.

I wish I had seen it all though, perhaps I will next episode.

Cheers,

Les.

Yeah, I picked up on the radio lag too.
They then went on to mention that there was one, but it wasn't evident.
They also didn't seem to have much protection against asteroids or micro-asteroids. They were going through a field, and they didn't even put their suits on. A grain of sand would have gone straight through them.

Let's hope it picks up a bit on the tech in the next episode.

Dusty!

To show that I am once again in your debt as regards advice here is a small snippet from later on in the tale of Androidstein:

Hassam and Harareet were anxious to get out onto the surface and set about refuelling the lander from the Habitat’s fuel generator, storage silo, but they had to sit until the dust cloud blown up by their final burn had settled. This took nearly an hour as a large proportion of the Martian dust had the consistency of talcum powder. It was insidious in its contaminating potential and if not carefully managed could play havoc with both circuitry and respiratory systems. When at last it cleared, they stepped out onto the lands of Hellos. Then with a careful tread, practised for many hours in simulated dust bowls back on Earth, they made for the habitat, disturbing the potentially fatal dust to no more than a milky red mist, which barely rose above their ankles.

Having removed their environment suits in the dust extracting suite and locker room incorporated into the airlock system, they satisfied themselves that everything was as it should be in the habitat. It was then they informed Jenkins that they planned to stay there for some months upon returning from the burials.

Thanks again,

Les.

Excellent.
I just noticed that they are repeating last week's episode this afternoon on BBC2.