After executing a flawless landing sequence, NASA’s new Mars rover, Curiosity, has reached the surface of its new home.
“We are wheels down on Mars,” was the official word from mission control. Engineers immediately erupted into applause, hugs, and a few tears.
“That rocked! Seriously, was that not cool?” said the deputy project manager of the rover during a NASA press conference after the event.
Soon after the landing, the first images came from Curiosity’s cameras, showing pebbles, dust, and the shadow of the rover on the surface of Mars.
Now safely on the ground in the Gale Crater, Curiosity can begin its two-year mission: to find whether Mars has the crucial ingredients that could once have supported life. Learn more here, here, here, here, here or here.
Tags: Astronomy, Engineering
