The scientific outpost on Anide 1 is dedicated to studying the crystals in the Jeweled Mountains. It's purely scientific. They're not looking at potential applications or anything. They just want to know more about the crystals there. How they formed, how old they are, how strong or fragile they are, what are they made of. The researchers at the outpost are looking for answers to those questions and more.

Nobody anticipated any wildlife. Not because none could exist but because nothing indicated that life might be there. However there was an exobiologist on the team to see if life might have existed on the planet. They didn't see this coming either.

If any of the team survives they're going to have a lot to study.