Curiosity rover descending under parachute to martian surface, as seen by NASA Odyssey Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

PASADENA, Calif. – An image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance orbiter captured the Curiosity rover still connected to its almost 16-meter-wide parachute as it descended toward Gale Crater.

This note came in last night from Susan Kurtik, NASA’s MSL Mission Interface Manager at JPL and the person with whom ESA’s ESTRACK team at ESOC worked to plan and conduct the tracking of MSL’s arrival using New Norcia station (see our earlier post – ESA, NASA, Parkes: Big ears on Earth will listen to MSL descend – Ed.)

Susan wrote:

 

We want to extend our Congratulations for the incredible success of the ESA MEX and ESTRACK support of the MSL EDL!  It was flawless and exceeded everyone’s expectations – great job!

Following the landing, the MSL mission manager came over to personally thank us and asked that we extend his most sincere and deep appreciation for the outstanding support of the DSN and ESA teams.  It is always an honor to be collaborating with our international partners and to be working together with such a dedicated and highly skilled team.  We have changed the world today, together.  And we have demonstrated once again the tremendous benefits of international collaboration!

Sending ENORMOUS THANKS to our ESA partners!

Best regards,

Susan C. Kurtik
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Deep Space Network
MSL Mission Interface Manager