Congresswoman Chu Applauds Successful Landing of Mars Curiosity Rover

El Monte, CA – Following the successful landing of the Mars Curiosity rover early this morning, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32) released the following statement in praise of this watershed achievement:

“This morning, I was privileged to witness the landing of NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars from JPL’s Mission Control.  The precision and flawless execution by everyone involved is a testament to American ingenuity and the pioneering spirit of our nation.  What the dedicated staff on the Curiosity mission team have done is provide yet another good reason to fully fund NASA and make sure America remains the leader in space exploration that we are today.  Congratulations to NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the entire Curiosity mission team!”

The Mars Curiosity rover landed at 10:32 p.m. PDT Aug. 5, (1:32 a.m. EDT Aug. 6), ending a 36-week flight and beginning a two-year investigation of Gale Crater on the Martian surface. Curiosity is the largest, most complex robotic rover ever to land on the surface of another planet.

The rover’s primary mission will be to investigate whether the region ever had environmental conditions favorable for microbial life. The mission is managed by Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Curiosity was designed, developed and assembled at JPL.