A follow on question to this that I've wondered is if they reduced the reliability of some of their probes, would they be able to build more of them? Could they send probes/rovers to additional bodies more quickly?
Obviously the flip side is that some probes will fail.
I expect they are not operating at the most efficient use of capital (if measured in probe lifetime/$). But since they are funded by the government, the politics mean that failure, even within expectations, would result in reduced funding.
So maybe this overbuilding is a symptom of government inefficiency?
Obviously the flip side is that some probes will fail.
I expect they are not operating at the most efficient use of capital (if measured in probe lifetime/$). But since they are funded by the government, the politics mean that failure, even within expectations, would result in reduced funding.
So maybe this overbuilding is a symptom of government inefficiency?