Washington D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation applauds the team of explorers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, industry, and throughout NASA, that has successfully delivered the Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) landed on the Martian surface at 1:31AM ET today after launching from Cape Canaveral in November.
“Curiosity is NASA’s next great explorer, a technological wonder that will bring Mars into laboratories and living rooms across the country,” said Michael Lopez-Alegria, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. “Thousands of people designed, developed, built and delivered Curiosity, and they all deserve our acclaim. Congratulations, in particular, to the scientists and engineers of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who have led their team to such an inspiring achievement.”
Many CSF companies were involved in the successful delivery of MSL to Mars. Back in November, MSL began its journey atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Sierra Nevada Corporation and Aerojet worked on key components of the rover such as the descent brake and descent engines, respectively, among others. And Planetary Resources was a JPL contractor that assisted with various aspects of the MSL program.
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director Alex Saltman at saltman@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.
