Now that I think about it, the Azure doesn't look like it should weight 21 tonnes... 6-7 tonnes maximum based on its size. If it were electric-powered it would need to be lightweight. ANyway, it's a bust, so onwards and upwards.
Why aren't we straying far from the base, exactly? I'm sure there would be interesting geological features to explore, especially if we were landing near a massive geological feature like Valles Marineris or Olympus Mons. Remember, this isn't Apollo, a quick hop there with a tiny ship and a short visit. This is a months-long trip and a year-long operation. There needs to be something to do there, or else it will be a total waste of money.
Also, the mission has to stay interesting to be worthwhile to the pilots. Hangin' out in a big pod for 18 months analysing the same old rocks doesn't seem like a very interesting project. If the OFMM users are going to keep interest in it, a change of scenery once in a while would at least serve to alleviate some boredom.
Speaking of scenery, so far Orbiter's groundside scenery consists entirely of a large flat brown plane on which you project a shadow. I assume meshes can be made of the landing area? (there's already one of Olympus Mons somewhere out there, I think).