NASA’s InSight spacecraft landed on Mars and two engineers did something (else) amazing
NASA has landed a craft on the surface of Mars to carry out a range of studies. Named InSight for short, the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport will investigate what makes up the layers beneath the surface of Mars, since we now know it isn’t caramel and nougat. Unfortunately.
Millions of people watched the event, including these NASA engineers.
Our @NASAInSight spacecraft stuck the #MarsLanding!
Its new home is Elysium Planitia, a still, flat region where it’s set to study seismic waves and heat deep below the surface of the Red Planet for a planned two-year mission. Learn more: https://t.co/fIPATUugFo pic.twitter.com/j0hXTjhV6I
— NASA (@NASA) November 26, 2018
The clip delighted people almost as much as the historic event.
Every day should include video footage of a control room filled with scientists somewhere erupting in joy
— Drew Magary (@drewmagary) November 26, 2018
My office is like that when I bring in donuts.
— Kevin S (@kevspind) November 26, 2018
As well as the excited guy who could barely stay seated, people mainly focused on the two engineers giving each other the best fancy handshake we’ve seen for a while.
NASA with the illest handshake. In our newsroom, we just snap an Oreo in half. #MarsLanding #InSight pic.twitter.com/8Yb0681x1H
— Nina Lin 林志龄 (@linographs) November 26, 2018
As a journalist it's my duty to ask how long that NASA handshake was practiced. Also why was there a single guy wearing a hat, a fedora no less. #MarsLanding
— Keaton (@ChirpinParaKeat) November 26, 2018
NASA gave us the lowdown on the high-five duo.
The #MarsLanding Handshake https://t.co/XVC2a5hKQz
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) November 26, 2018
The engineers, Brooke and Gene, had painstakingly copied the handshake from a touchdown celebration in a match between the 49ers and the Chiefs – whatever that means – and we’re grateful they did, because they’ve made a special moment even better.
In case you missed it, here’s InSight’s first photo.
We may have been wrong about the caramel and nougat.