NASA Lands Car-Size Rover Beside Martian Mountain

NASA's most advanced Mars rover Curiosity has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars Sunday to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft that carried Curiosity succeeded in every step of the most complex landing ever attempted on Mars, including the final severing of the bridle cords and flyaway maneuver of the rocket backpack.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[ShadowNinja390]

Much of the technology we use today was developed for space exploration. As well it allows us to get a better picture about the universe and how life came to be. The laws of physics can be explored in their entirety and we can look for life else where. Maybe some of the answers to problems here are out there.

[Jim Gasch]

'MURICA

[MattMarsTV]

2:57

Fuk li, i love that name on his computer lol.

[Alonzo Branson]

"Touchdown confirmed, we are safe on Mars."

[Rohan Pannikadavil]

As a player of Kerbal Space Program, my respect for these men and women just increased tenfold.

[Darthbill99]

You know what's kind of cool? the rover had already landed about ten minutes before this video was filmed, it just took about 20 minutes for the signal to reach Earth.

[AlDavisHudson]

One thing is for sure are not idiots working in that room

[anovermage]

also

>implying that the money not spent on space exploration would immediately be spent to help poor people

I think you don't know how the world works.

[anovermage]

Did you kinow that the entire budget for this mission isn't even 0.1% of the military budget? just saying, yeah?

[MrMattsung]

Umm you might have to use your non-existent brain, they used a rocket powered skycrane to descend to mars.

[campbellsdad1229]

Just wondering if you ever actually know what you're talking about before you speak? This is a remarkable achievement that will go down in the history of mankind as astonishing - and it cost $7 per American over the course of a few years. That's right..... 7 whole hard earned dollars. The war in Iraq, by comparison, will cost each of us around $12,000. The $850 billion Wall Street bailout cost more than NASA's entire 54-year existence. I would rather choose to spend 7 dollars.