A rover landed on Mars Sunday night West Coast time as part of NASA's exploration of Mars and the continued search for signs of extraterrestrial life.
The robotic rover, Curiosity, landed on schedule at 10:31 p.m. PST, according to NASA officials, who celebrated at the Jet Propulsion Lab near Pasadena.
As the crucial time approached, millions of outer space fans were following Curiosity's progress on a dedicated NASA web channel.
The 1-ton rover was launched into space two years ago to determine if Mars could host microbial life.
A previous mission, the Mars Pathfinder, successfully sent a roving laboratory to Mars in 1997.
The mission was unique for those on Earth because of the live streaming video through NASA's website.
For more information about viewing the live moments in space visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl.