Mission control, and administration, planned poorly

Why did the astronauts have to find a suitable location for the colony, AFTER they got there? We already have the technology to locate suitable locations using earth bound telescopes. We also have the technology now to have remotely built a long term habitat for the astronauts before they got to mars.(including a remote control greenhouse.)

Also, space travel common sense would have said to put a orbiting station, and support satellites, above the planet(as a mother ship, like was done on the Apollo missions.) before touchdown. such a system could have included a GPS system, cameras, and other equipment, that could have told the ground crew where everyone, and everything, was at any given time.

The captain took a rock from earth with him, and held it exposed to the martian climate, thereby contaminating the entire planet.

And the poor psyche screening....YIKES!!!!