Curiosity rover lands successfully on Mars

Landing the Curiosity rover on Mars was such a tricky feat that the brains at NASA dubbed its hair-raising descent "seven minutes of terror." But now you can breathe a sigh of relief (but not on Mars, where the low air pressure would kill you almost instantly). The one-ton rover landed safely in the red planet's Gale Crater early this morning, and it sent back its first picture, seen here, almost immediately. Live footage broadcast by NASA TV showed cheers and high-fives erupting in the space agency's control room. No wonder they're so excited: Curiosity will spend the next several years collecting Martian data, helping to determine whether Mars has ever offered favorable conditions for life. [Source]

Check out the msnNOW.com homepage to read more trending stories.