"1. The Mars Science Laboratory project was started eight years ago in 2004. So, all the technology on it is at least eight years old." This doesn't seem quite

"1. The Mars Science Laboratory project was started eight years ago in 2004. So, all the technology on it is at least eight years old." This doesn't seem quite right. From watching documentaries on the past Mars missions, it seems like each piece of scientific equipment is done separately by various engineering groups around the U.S. and the world. They are only integrated at the end. And those individual pieces of equipment are getting changed right up until the deadline if they aren't working up to spec. So the requirements are eight years old, but the tech isn't necessarily. They are just very conservative in their requirements.