- On Monday, NASA’s new Mars lander touched down successfully on the Red Planet.
- Flight controllers embraced and shared moments of celebration after the lander touched down.
- The lander will study Mars by burrowing beneath the planet’s surface.
After a six-month, 300-million-mile trip that ended with a six-minute descent through the planet’s atmosphere, the InSight spacecraft landed on Mars successfully Monday.
After receiving confirmation that the landing was a success, flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, embraced and celebrated for several minutes. High-fives were exchanged and tears were shed after several suspenseful minutes awaiting word that the lander had touched down on the Red Planet.