"We are wheels down on Mars." With those words, the team at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory went about as crazy with delight and relief as space geeks can ever get -- and their joy was streamed live around the planet Earth, online.
[More from Mashable: Watch the Mars Curiosity Landing Live [VIDEO]]
But it wasn't just the fact that the 2,000 lb. rover had touched down on Mars after a phenomenally difficult operation known as the "seven minutes of terror." It was the pictures it was almost instantly sending back, in which the surface of the planet and the high-tech rover's wheels can be clearly seen.
[More from Mashable: Super-Realistic Simulator Lands NASA’s Curiosity Rover on Mars [VIDEO]]
Never in human history, it is safe to say, has the word "thumbnails" elicited such a reaction as in this moment.
And even if you could care less for space missions, it's hard not to be infected by NASA's enthusiasm.
Are you this excited about the $2.5 billion Curiosity mission? Laugh, cry, hug and share all in the comments.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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