“Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history.”—President Obama
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 6, 2012
Congratulations
@nasa#MSL on the Curiosity landing!! Can I play the first concert on Mars? Say hi to the Martians for me. Love, Neil— Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) August 6, 2012
The most technologically advanced Mars landing in history went off without a hitch overnight as NASA’s Curiosity rover touched down in a sweet parking spot: a huge crater on the red planet.
NASA engineer Allen Chen signalled the success with all the drama deserving of this real-life science fiction: “Touchdown confirmed. We’re safe on Mars.”
Though unmanned craft have visited Mars before, the $2.5 billion Curiosity project is the most advanced — and the rover’s drill, laser, and onboard chem lab will help it search for the holy grail of interplanetary exploration: signs of organic life.
“Today, the wheels of Curiosity have begun to blaze the trail for human footprints on Mars,”
@nasa Administrator Charles Bolden#MSL— NASA (@NASA) August 6, 2012
The successful landing is a great source of pride for the U.S. space program. Historically, a high percentage of Mars-related exploration projects have ended in disaster for other space-savvy countries.
“I congratulate and thank all the men and women of NASA who made this remarkable accomplishment a reality.”—President Obama
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 6, 2012
And curiosity is already sending images back to Earth ($2.5 billion and we get black-and-white?). It’s even sharing them on Twitter.