re: MSL over Budget?
Many knowlegeable aerospace folks have opined that MSL is a disaster in waiting. It's overly complex, and a crash landing waiting to happen. Problem is...they're attempting a complex landing methodology with a large craft that cannot withstand mid-sized boulders or slopes, yet the craft does not have the radar & optical AI that so meny here fantasize about but in the real world does not exist in a robust form. Strategy is 'hope that it inadvertantly lands in a smoothish spot' and that the many landing sequences operate flawlessly. Pretty risky for a gigabuck mission.