Sure, occasionally something blows up on take-off or re-entry, but most of the time the things they build seem to last forever. Look at the Mars Explorer Opportunity. It landed in January 2004 for a 90-day mission. It is now June, almost July 2007 and the little fucker is still running strong, and its mission might be extended through October 2008.That is, if it doesn't get trapped in Victoria Crater. Victoria Crater is a half-mile across and about 200 to 230 feet deep, far deeper than anything the rovers have yet explored. It's a risk to go in, but one NASA is willing to take. Opportunity could get trapped in the crater, unable to leave. Or, hell, it could topple over during descent or sink into a sandy crater side; no one knows for sure what will happen.
According to this AP story, "The initial entry is expected on July 7 or 9. To get into the crater, the rover will have to safely cross a ripple of wind-formed material at the lip of the crater, the kind of feature that has given it trouble before. The team plans to initially drive only far enough to have all six wheels on the slope and then back up to the top, to analyze how it performed."
I wish the little rover well. Now if only these guys would build my next computer.
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