While NASA’s team was accomplishing the incredible feat of landing its Curiosity rover on Mars, the legendary Mohawk Guy — spotted throughout NASA TV’s livestream Sunday evening — rapidly became an Internet sensation.

But Mohawk Guy isn’t just a fun haircut. He’s Bobak Ferdowski, flight director of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity mission. And once he went viral, it didn’t take tweeps long to find his Twitter account, @tweetsoutloud – which shot from 200 followers to more than 20,000.

Shira caught up with Bobak to learn more about his rise to online stardom, his eccentric hairstyles, and what it takes to land on Mars.