On August 5th, the Mars science Laboratory spacecraft cut through the Martian atmosphere, deployed a supersonic parachute, and lowered the cosmic rover from a hovering, retro-rocket powered platform, placing it gently on the surface.
The mind boggling sequence of events, nicely dramatized in the viral video 7 minutes of terror!!! It went down perfectly, making the beginning of the mission a lot easier.
Over the next several months, the car sized machine underwent deliberate testing and tantive drives to make sure the payload was working in order. But where were they going in the spacecraft?
By Hannah Lee