The six-wheeled robotic vehicle covered 293 million miles (472 million km) for nearly seven months before entering the Martian atmosphere.
Social media was flooded with congratulatory messages as NASA’s science rover Perseverance successfully touched down in February in the early hours of Friday.
The rover is said to be the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another planet. It landed safely on the floor of a vast crater called Jezero Crater, it’s first stop, on a vast search for traces of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet.
The mission team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, near Los Angeles, burst into applause and cheers as radio signals confirmed the rover’s touchdown.
Touchdown confirmed. The #CountdownToMars is complete, but the mission is just beginning. pic.twitter.com/UvOyXQhhN9
— NASA (@NASA) February 18, 2021
The six-wheeled robotic vehicle covered 293 million miles (472 million km) for nearly seven months before entering the Martian atmosphere.
As many praised the NASA team for their historic feat, #NASAPerseverance and #NASA dominated social media trends. Take a look at some of the reactions here:
What a historic moment!
— نَـسـی🌸 (@Nasrin_1997) February 18, 2021
Congratulations…..
— Sean Lintner (@LintnerSean) February 18, 2021
NASA is made up of rock stars. #fact. You are truly amazing. pic.twitter.com/xqQyDFIoBc
— Brian E. Lindholm (@blindholm73) February 19, 2021
Thank you for making us dreaming and watching up there. Memories of me and my granddad watching Mars through his telescope resurfaced tonight ❤
— ML (@MLebreton69) February 18, 2021
— Susan Minamide (@sjminamide) February 18, 2021
Watched it live at an ungodly hour here in Tokyo. But it was worth it.
— David Tropp (@datropp) February 18, 2021
An amazing feat!
— Giovanni Lido (@Giovanni_Lido) February 18, 2021
I congratulate the United States on this great contribution to humanity.
— PROTOGAEA (@Protogaea) February 18, 2021
Congratulations to all of these hard working and talented people involved with the Perserverence!! 🥇🥇🥇 pic.twitter.com/gY0iWwYDAf
— Mary D Adams. Vote Blue! 🗳💙 (@MaryDAdams1) February 18, 2021
Congratulations @NASA proud moment for USA and for all of us..great work done by the scientists and engineers 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/ouLCbzUw1a
— Divyanshu Sharma (@DivyanshuS8) February 19, 2021
@NASAPersevere great job @nasa 👍
So exciting … Congrats pic.twitter.com/tJxyITCuKl— Senrik (@senrik6) February 18, 2021
#MarsLanding
This historical moment! It’s an great honor to see this in my life. Congratulations, thank you for your hard work! pic.twitter.com/L9koQCEPmU— 💜 VIOLET 💜 (@THEREALHYUNGJIN) February 18, 2021
Incredible milestone! I can’t wait to see what this groundbreaking mission shows us. Let’s get ready to science!!! 😊 #CountdownToMars
— Manish Kumar Mishra (@Astro_Mishra) February 18, 2021
Through the endeavour, scientists hope to find fossilised signs of microbes that may have flourished on Mars some 3 billion years ago.
(With inputs from Reuters)
