It just occurs to me that setting down a 150' tower on an irregular and unexplored surface might present more than a few challenges with balance. At least on the moon there is no wind, unlike Mars. Imagine trying to land it on a random spot on earth, and then blast out a hole from the soil (regolith), leaving behind the big, heavy boulders and rocks and stay balanced. LEM is a piece of cake by contrast. If sending humans to the moon is the goal, why not fly several LEM like craft rather than a giant magic marker? I suspect that the reason is really just a warm up for a Mars trip
