11 best tweets from Curiosity's descent to Mars
By Jo Piazza / current.com / @jopiazza
In case you decided to sleep Sunday night instead of watching one of the greatest achievements of science in modern times, NASA landed the Mars rover Curiosity on the surface of the red planet at about 1:25 a.m. ET.
Woot!
The event, which is already being hailed as the sexiest Martian landing in history, was streamed live from mission control on Ustream. But what made the terrifying and breath-holding adventure extremely special for those of us sadly planted on Earth's surface was that Curiosity provided her own live tweets of her death-defying descent to the planet's surface.
Here are just a few of the highlights in chronological order (because you want to experience the surprise and elation all over again)!
Call me, maybe? All the ways I could phone home after landing on Mars [video] bit.ly/Pve8rV
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 4, 2012
2 hours to Mars, 16,300 miles away and closing fast. Velocity = 8,900 mph. Watch live: bit.ly/MarsLive #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
I'm inside the orbit of Deimos and completely on my own. Wish me luck! #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
I feel lighter & faster already. Cruise balance masses ejected and Mars is pulling me in #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
Entering Mars' atmosphere. 7. Minutes. Of. Terror. Starts. NOW. #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
Parachute deployed! Velocity 900 mph. Altitude 7 miles. 4 minutes to Mars! #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
Backshell separation. It's just you & me now, descent stage. Engage all retrorockets! #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
You asked for pics from my trip. Here you go! My 1st look (of many to come) of my new home... MARS! #MSL twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/…
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
No photo or it didn't happen? Well lookee here, I'm casting a shadow on the ground in Mars' Gale crater #MSL twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/…
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
It once was one small step... now it's six big wheels. Here's a look at one of them on the soil of Mars #MSL twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/…
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
(Photo: NASA via Twitter)
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