(August 10, 2012 at 3:24 pm)Chuck Wrote: Let's hope Curosity will last through the 15-20 years her nuclear-thermal generator is capable of keeping her continuously supplied with power.
Provided the instruments hold up, I would think it should enjoy a nice long life. The power supply and heating system is relatively simple and robust.
I suspect that the reliability of the lander is less of an issue than reliability of funding for ground control.