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Mission managers, flight controllers, and scientists spoke at a press conference after the Mars rover Curiosity successfully landed.

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Cheers and applause echoed through the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory late Sunday.

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Minutes after the landing signal reached Earth, Curiosity beamed back the first black-and-white pictures from Mars.

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Scientists worked inside the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory before the rover landed.

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Spectators in New York City's Times Square watched a live feed of the rover's landing.

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Steve Collins waited during what was dubbed the "seven minutes of terror" as the rover approached the surface of Mars.

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An artist's rendering showed how the Curiosity rover was to be dropped onto the surface of Mars.

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The rover landed in Mars' Gale Crater, shown here in an undated image from NASA.

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The Curiosity rover (right) was shown next to previous Mars rovers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Those associated with the successful rover landing couldn't hide their excitement.