-  Awareness of the general cost and success rates of planetary missions
 

Students go to http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/log

and assess the relative success of Mars missions as an example of space exploration to the closest planet.

They should note the number of missions, the countries involved, and the success/failure rate for each country.

They should make a judgment on whether the poor success rate was only in the past or whether it continues.

Following links from 
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/marspage.html

will give an indication of the cost of space missions: for example, Viking I in 1975 cost $1 billion, Voyager 1 & 2 were $875 million, and the Mars Surveyor in 1998 cost $327 million.

 - Internet access
 

- anecdotal

- journal entries on the Mars missions statistics