That’s only cheap if you don’t consider how long it will survive and the replacement/repair cost. A slab phone with no moving parts will last much longer than a foldable making the $/year cost much lower.

It’s also worth noting that people with undisclosed skeletons in their closet are blackmailable. So even if they represented your interests in the past that all ends once someone puts them on a leash. This is why even if you make no moral judgements there are pragmatic reasons to not have such people in office.

It’s also worth noting it was always supposed to land with the solar panels on its side, the issue is that they ended up pointing west (in the shade, not producing power) instead of to the east (towards the sun).

The fact that it still handled the asymmetrical thrust after the nozzle broke off one of its two engines to make it down in one piece, and only the orientation happened to be wrong, is still a great achievement.

If the hardware survives the chill (heaters not running from lack of power) it might still resume its mission when the sun changes position in the sky and the panels start getting light.

On the plus side, it will be hilarious for said teabagger fanbois to know that they indirectly funded NYT.