Thanks
Very useful.
One question that raises is how dependent were the MERs on this favorable opposition?
Let's say NASA took the suggestion I and others have made to re-use the design.
With an average opposition, how much heavier would you have to make the entry system? And between the higher delta-v and the heavier heat shield, could a Delta II still have launched one, or would we have had to upgrade to a larger booster?
Heck, how confident are we that the system would have worked for a higher entry speed. Is it just a matter of making the shield thicker, or more changes needed?