The boat, called Route 66, cruised at more than 20 knots and frequently hit speeds in excess of 30 knots, or 55 kilometers an hour. (Note that America's Cup racers max out at 16 knots, and they're basically empty shells with nary a cushion to sit on.) Route 66 boasted a full luxury interior with air-conditioning, desalination equipment and even an air compressor for underwater breathing hoses.

FORBES: Mine's Lighter

Too big to rely on air bags to cushion its fall as with previous Mars landers, Curiosity landed through an automated system of high-speed maneuvers, a supersonic parachute, eight retro-rockets and a set of "sky-crane" tethers that lowered the vehicle gently the last few feet to the ground.

WSJ: NASA's Curiosity Rover Lands on Mars