Day 4,296 of a 90-day mission.
Dr. Steve Squyres was burning $1M/day with a 21-day window to launch. Miss it? Wait 26 months. Or never go at all. Two NASA missions had just failed. Every single part was custom. The schedule shifted daily.
No pressure.
What got them to Mars (and kept them there 12 years)? One decision owner. No voting. No revisiting.
Building 2 rovers was faster than 1 (counterintuitive, but brilliant)
A culture where challenging each other's work wasn't awkward, it was the job The best part? He breaks down exactly how they did it.
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