The whole authorization thing gets even worse once one realizes that it'd be more sensible if Adam had just asked Samus to not use her high-end weaponry instead of ordering her. That way, she could actually use her own discretion to determine when or when not to use certain items, and her upgrading her weapons would start making more sense as the situation becomes more clear that there are few survivors and the team is getting killed.
The plot would have to get worked around a little bit to accommodate the more arbitrary choices (such as not using space jump or the gravity suit right away), but if done right it would have made Samus still look independent yet empathetic instead of just not doing it because an officer she no longer serves under told her to do so.
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Geologists will date anything.