Mars atmosphere is sometimes characterized as "enough so that you have to deal with it, but not enough to finish the job [with parachutes]" I expect NASA just

Mars atmosphere is sometimes characterized as "enough so that you have to deal with it, but not enough to finish the job [with parachutes]" I expect NASA just builds the biggest single parachute they think they can safely use, and then works downstream of that on a landing system. Spirit and Opportunity used heatshield+parachute+rockets + bouncy airbags. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover