The first image from the rover was a tiny thumbnail from the rear HAZCAM left side. Looking from close to the surface, it showed at first little more than a bright sky with a late afternoon Sun over a fisheye lens curved dark horizon, but it was our first glimpse of this new place. The clear dome protecting the camera was spattered with dust clods, proving the wisdom of their presence.

(above) The first glimpse of the Surface from a wide angle camera near the ground looking toward the Sun. The dark area in the sky at the middle of the horizon is a dark dust cloud kicked up by the 'Sky Crane' as it crashed in the distance. The cameras were protected by a clear dome which shows clumps of dust clinging to it in both hazcams pointed in that direction. The simultaneous exposures of both cameras allowed them to be superimposed so the dust clumps tend to 'cancel themselves out', emphasizing the real detail including the dust cloud in the distance.

A page dedicated to Gale crater and some of the initial images from the Curiosity Rover is here.

(right) Peter Theisinger, MSL Project Manager, below the first image returned by the Curiosity Rover. Theisinger was later named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his role in the success of the landing.

Next we saw the rover's long shadow thrown toward the horizon, with a mountain dimly shown above a dark done outlined horizon. Moments of handshaking, hugs and triumphant conversation across the auditorium were overseen by joined upheld hands on the stage. 

There were instances of celebration breaking out among the speakers as others arrived, and at one point many of the blue shirted controllers came in and mixed with the media. It was joyous chaos more than once. There was a tendency for the photographers to mob the stage, causing exasperated cries of 'Down In Front' from the camera operators toward the rear.

(above right) I wanted to make sure an image or two existed of me there, thanks to helpful folks nearby it happened. It was as glorious a nght as JPL had ever seen since the 1976 Viking 1 landing, which was my first time in that auditorium. Unlike those early days, I was the only space artist in that room, although others were elsewhere at the lab through their own twists of destiny.

Whimsical rituals were in evidence, one before landing involved sharing peanuts from a mission labeled jar. This was started after the first successful Ranger Moon probe after a string of failures was broken and it became known one of the controllers was eating peanuts. A jar of red marbles representing days to landing were finally transferred from one jar to another that day. Mars candy bars were also widely distributed. I saw people I knew, shared impressions of the night, of relief and enthusiasm for what was to come.

The celebrations and congratulations reberverated among those gathered there for hours. Various dignitaries from NASA Headquarters made the rounds, including a pleased looking Lori Garver (right)














After a last look at the Rover model in the courtyard with the waning gibbous Moon high in the sky, around 1:30 AM I decided to start the nearly two hour drive home. Along the way I listened to news reports about the event I had just been to. Once more I managed to be at the most important place in the world on that day. Jupiter has risen in the East, looming bright and steady as I drove the quiet freeways. After the Palm Springs turnoff, the darker stretch before town revealed along the desert horizon Venus rising, bright and yellow at first. The end of this long and eventful day came for me at dawn.

(below) in the video of the NASA TV coverage I can be seen taking photos in all directons compiling panoramas like this.

Above) a crop of my 'celebration pan'.

(below) The entire pan, reduced.

Just before leaving, I obtained this photo of the true size replica of the Curiosity Rover, now safely on Mars.