Politics & Government

LIVE VIDEO: Watch NASA's Historic Mars Curiosity Rover

Live NASA-TV updates of Mars Curiosity rover via U-STREAM, providing new images and updates of the historic landing on Mars.

NASA is providing live updates of its landing of the new Curiosity rover landing on Mars throughout today.

Curiosity landed at 1:32 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, according to NASA. Mission Control for the rover is out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. 

The first images from the rover transmitted two hours later, NASA reported:

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"Curiosity's landing site is beginning to come into focus," said John Grotzinger, project manager of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "In the image, we are looking to the northwest. What you see on the horizon is the rim of Gale Crater. In the foreground, you can see a gravel field. The question is, where does this gravel come from? It is the first of what will be many scientific questions to come from our new home on Mars."

President Barack Obama released a statement marking the historic achievement:

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The successful landing of Curiosity – the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet – marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future. It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.

Tonight’s success, delivered by NASA, parallels our major steps forward towards a vision for a new partnership with American companies to send American astronauts into space on American spacecraft. That partnership will save taxpayer dollars while allowing NASA to do what it has always done best – push the very boundaries of human knowledge. And tonight’s success reminds us that our preeminence – not just in space, but here on Earth – depends on continuing to invest wisely in the innovation, technology, and basic research that has always made our economy the envy of the world.

Perhaps one of the most bizarre parts of the rover's landing will mark the first ever song to be played on the planet. Space fan and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics supporter and Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am received that honor.

The will.i.am song that will be revealed later, according to The Washington Post:

The artist said he has written a song for Curiosity, which he is keeping under wraps until students from his “i.am College Track” program students visit the JPL laboratory.

It's expected that the song will be transmitted back to Earth, according to several reports, including one from The Mirror in the UK.

NASA is doing what it can to inspire space exploration, and thanks to celebrities, it's drawing attention and funds to further the space mission. 

Joining will.i.am at a NASA party in Pasadena, Calif., including Seth Green, Morgan Freeman, Alex Trebek and Wil Wheaton, Boston.com reported.


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