Scientist at NASA blogs reaction on Curiosity's landing
The scene at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Writing in his blog, Dr Bridges, from the University’s Space Research Centre, said:
"It's down - Landed ! The first images are already being sent back via Odyssey. They are Hazcam images, showing a shadow cast by Curiosity on the Gale surface. Lots of very happy and excited people in this room ! What an opportunity we have now to explore this fascinating planet."
Curiosity has already sent back an image of its landing area at Gale Crater, followed by a high resolution version two hours later.
Dr Bridges is leading a team of UK and French space experts analysing data from NASA’s car-sized rover in Gale Crater on Mars.
The Mars Science Laboratory mission, landing NASA’s most advanced planetary rover, is a deploying the most powerful suite of instruments yet sent to the Red Planet.
Dr Bridges is one of 2 UK Participating Scientists on the mission, and leads a team from the University of Leicester, the Open University and CNRS France.
Dr Bridges is at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to witness the landing and start work on subsequent science operations.
