NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory erupted in triumph this afternoon as the rover Curiosity touched down on Mars.
The Washington Post reports the landing took place within a 9-by-3-mile ellipse selected for touchdown. “It landed at exactly 1.31 a.m., as planned months ago. The rover is most likely in a dune field now, but will set out for nearby Mount Sharp in the weeks ahead.”
The rover was launched from Cape Canaveral on November 26, 2011. It has travelled 354 million miles since its launch.
Curiosity began transmitting data immediately after touchdown.
