[JeffInCorvallis]

To be fair, Spirit and Opportunity, originally designed to go a short distance and operate for about 90 Martian days, far exceeded expectations, surviving for more than 6 years and sending back tons of data on Mars, including evidence of water.  Curiosity, about the size of a minivan, is far more robust and capable and should be a workhorse on Mars for some time.  It sure was fun to watch as we tested out a new and innovative landing sequence that seems to have worked perfectly.

[JeffInCorvallis]

To be fair, Spirit and Opportunity, originally designed to go a short distance and operate for about 90 Martian days, far exceeded expectations, surviving for more than 6 years and sending back tons of data on Mars, including evidence of water.  Curiosity, about the size of a minivan, is far more robust and capable and should be a workhorse on Mars for some time.  It sure was fun to watch as we tested out a new and innovative landing sequence that seems to have worked perfectly.