The most expensive to date, the mission of the U.S. space Agency NASA Mars Science Laboratory successfully passed one of the most important and difficult of its stages. Curiosity Rover conveyed to Earth signal of the successful landing on the red planet.

At 9:33 Moscow time, NASA experts reported to the world that the lander reached the surface of Mars.



The three-meter plain Curiosity Rover landed in the Gale crater that he will study two years. Scientists believe that the Rover will find in it the traces of water and, possibly, microbial life, hypothetically existed in these places.

Interestingly, there was little likelihood that even if Curiosity will make landing on Mars successfully, scientists won't know it. The system of automatic landing was so complex that any mistake could lead to the failure of the mission.

I waited for a lander and a Rover on the way to the surface, scientists have demonstrated in the video, which was called"7 minutes of terror" (Seven minutes of terror).



7 minutes in this case is the time it took all parts of the descent module to cover the distance from the top words of the atmosphere of the red planet to its surface. During this period of time was the most difficult stage of the mission, and NASA experts could not affect the course of events, only to record what is happening. All because the distance between Mars and Earth, which is a signal of what is happening overcomes in 14 minutes.

Actually during the whole operation, the researchers obtained information on the progress of the mission late.

After 2-3 minutes after landing, NASA experts had the opportunity to see the place of landing "eyes" Curiosity. On the photos sent to Earth orbiting Mars Odyssey, we can see that on the outer glass of one of the chambers of the Rover dust that was raised jet engines apparatus, opustevshem Rover on the Martian surface. In the second picture visible shadow of the new Rover on the background of the surface of the red planetary pictures sent by the Rover to the surface of Mars

(Now NASA experts are available only to a small pictures from the event. However, after two hours, after the second flight of the Orbiter above the landing site, we will provide high quality pictures).



We add that the Rover is very different from its predecessors (Rovers Spirit and Opportunity). On Board much more scientific instruments and, of course, scientists are pinning great hopes on him. Created Rover at the jet propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Recall also that the device went to the red planet in November 2011.