This was true of the first rover (Pathfinder ‘97) but really hasn’t been true of rovers since then. Ingenuity was an exception re: COTS parts since it was experimental.
Pathfinder cost <$300M. “Better cheaper faster” became Discovery class missions, “capped” at $500M. Curiosity and Perseverance cost about $2.5B each. Not in the same category.
Pathfinder cost <$300M. “Better cheaper faster” became Discovery class missions, “capped” at $500M. Curiosity and Perseverance cost about $2.5B each. Not in the same category.