Re: Trying to avoid this particular - - -
The Mars Society is primarily an amateur volunteer organization and I would point out so are AMSAT and ARRL.
The suit-to-suit communications problem was solved long ago what are you an elephant?
A GPS like system is planned for Mars for the same reasons it's used here by explorers and scientists.
Doesn't SSI and AIAA and a whole pack of Societies do paper studies and that has gotten us where?
--Chris Vancil