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A fascinating piece of history.
Robert Zubrin of the Mars society suggested that a human Mars mission could begin first with a return vehicle being sent to Mars. As the soil is full of OH, the return vehicle could be sent without fuel, then liberate hydrogen from the soil and fuel up before humans arrived. If I remember correctly, a shelter might be sent unmanned first. Given the capabilities of unmanned missions, I think that a one-way robot approach makes a lot of sense. We could establish a landing site, and reduce the risks before humans even arrived.