Curiosity’s Mars Landing: Entry, Descent and Sky Crane at JPL
The short version
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shares footage of mission control as Curiosity landed on Mars on the evening of Aug. 5 PDT. The clip pairs the team's reactions with a visualization of entry, descent and landing, including parachute deployment, powered flight and the sky crane. Touchdown is confirmed in the final seconds.
Questions this video answers
When did Curiosity land on Mars?
On the evening of Aug. 5 PDT, which was the morning of Aug. 6 EDT, 2012.
Did Curiosity land successfully?
Yes. The description says NASA's Curiosity rover successfully landed on Mars, and the mission control team confirmed touchdown.
What were the final steps before touchdown?
It was in powered flight, then reached about one kilometer altitude and began the sky crane phase before touchdown was confirmed.
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