NASA Rover Touches Down on Mars
January 3, 2004
A NASA rover plunged through the atmosphere of Mars and touched down on the Red Planet on Saturday night, beginning its mission to roam the Red Planet’s rocky surface in search of evidence Mars was once suitable for life.
A cheer went up at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory after signals showed the spacecraft had successfully bounced down on the planet.
Immediately after the touchdown, mission scientists on the ground lost contact with the spacecraft, as expected. The rover could bounce for as long as 10 minutes, traveling up to half a mile.