One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Curiosity Survives Nail-Biting Descent To Mars' Surface
NASA's latest, greatest Mars rover Curiosity survived 7 suspenseful minutes of terror through the atmosphere of Mars and landed safely and soundly on the planet's surface. Phew.
And then like any self-respecting Angeleno on a trip to a faraway land, it started snapping photos the second it landed and tweeted them out. Curiosity announced itself this way on Twitter:
I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
We've included the first of many photos from where Curiosity landed.
Credit goes to the hard-working members of the MSL team who spent a decade on the project and then superstitiously grew mutton chops, carried around lucky trinkets and styled this amazing mohawk just in case the hard work wasn't enough to ensure Curiosity's safety.
There's still a press conference going on through the USTREAM with lots of puns referencing the rover's name (example: "Our Curiosity knows no limits"), national pride and sometimes both ("Long live, American Curiosity!"):
Sponsored message
Streaming live video by Ustream
Related:
'Curiosity' Jets Off to Rove the Red Planet in Search of Little Green Men Conditions for Life
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
