First Images From Mars Curiosity

This morning, at 00:31 CST, Mars Curiosity Rover successfully landed on Mars after 8 and a half months of anticipation which climaxed with 7 minutes of terror.

Imediately following the landing, the rover started sending images our way. These images were taken at one-quarter of full resolution and with a clear dust cover still intact. Higher resolution, color images will be seen later this week once the rover's mast cameras are deployed.

Shortly after the landing, President Obama made this statement:

Statement by the President on Curiosity Landing on Mars

Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history.

The successful landing of Curiosity – the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet – marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future. It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.

Tonight’s success, delivered by NASA, parallels our major steps forward towards a vision for a new partnership with American companies to send American astronauts into space on American spacecraft. That partnership will save taxpayer dollars while allowing NASA to do what it has always done best – push the very boundaries of human knowledge. And tonight’s success reminds us that our preeminence – not just in space, but here on Earth – depends on continuing to invest wisely in the innovation, technology, and basic research that has always made our economy the envy of the world.

I congratulate and thank all the men and women of NASA who made this remarkable accomplishment a reality – and I eagerly await what Curiosity has yet to discover.

So, where were you when we landed on Mars?