A Toast to JPL Curiosity Mission Control

JPL mission controllers broke out jars of peanuts shortly before Curiosity's landing. It’s a tradition before critical mission events that started with the first successful Ranger mission to the moon in the 1960s. A JPL staffer was eating peanuts at the time, so the staff figured the peanuts brought good luck! 

Looks like they worked again... Photo Credit: NASA-TV

Curiosity Has Landed - JPL Video

This is a combination of video and simulation pieced together to show the moment that Curiosity landed on Mars.

A Few More Photos

NASA's Curiosity rover and its parachute were spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as Curiosity descended to the surface. Amazing!

Curiosity was steered to this particular landing area during Entry Descent and Landing (EDL).

First Photos

The team a JPL celebrate just after Curiosity's landing.

Moments later, the first photos arrive...

Curiosity takes a photo of its own shadow.

Complete information is here - http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

Curiosity Lands on Mars!

Curiosity is now safely on Mars! The first thumbnail images have just come in. Now the real adventure begins... Just the lannding is a great achievement though.

I watched it all live on NASA TV.

More Curiosity Coolness...

Another amazing NASA animation of Curiosity in action.

See more here -http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ This is also where the live feed will begin on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 10:31 p.m. PDT - that is Monday, August 6, 2012 at 12:31 a.m. CDT, my time zone. I'll be watching! Will you?

Seven Minutes of Terror Coming Soon

Curiosity touches down soon... I am so excited about this!

I plan to watch live on Sunday night - actually Monday morning...

People often say NASA spends too much and does things that are crazy and too complicated. But, they still do amazing things...

Think how much Spirit and Opportunity exceeded expectations. The fact that there are robots made on earth rolling around on another planet blows my mind! I would love to be a tiny part of such a project.

With robotics, I still think that it is possible - there is so much left to accomplish - who knows who might contribute something important - It is a reminder to me an other amateurs to get to work!