Transcript for This day in history: Jan. 4, 2004

Here in the US scientists are celebrating a rare success on planet Mars NASA's spirit rover made a spectacular landing on the red planet late last night. And it's transmitting dozens of photographs back to earth the rover will spend ninety days traveling Mars looking for signs of water and therefore the possibility of life. More now from ABC's Ned potter. Spirits first pictures show parts of the spacecraft in the foreground. And beyond them a vast flat plane on a martian afternoon. The images come from a hundred million miles away. That's something that is very very rarely accomplished successfully. We are the very beginning of space exploration spirits landing was every bit as harrowing as engineers have almost. Atmospheric entry infantry. In 321. The spacecraft was so far away that it's radio signals to nine and a half minutes to reach her. Action forty different explosive bolts and work on schedule for the ship to open its shoot fire its rockets and drop to the surface and protective airbags one bad gust of martian winds of one trough rock. In the mission might end. I think on her part. Eight Eric kind. Touched down but then from fifteen scary minutes the signals stopped. We currently are still searching for a day confirmation for signal from our. Poignantly. Engineers were openly surprise the ship worked this well. British engineers field again this morning to reach near Beagle two probe which should have landed on Christmas. And NASA science chief warned from the beginning out of 34 previous Mars probes only thirteen succeeded. Mars is still. The death planet. It's a graveyard many many spacecraft this morning he cheerfully eat his words I will stop calling Mars the death planet by a polish. There will be about ten days of testing before the rover can move off its big stink. Now soaps it will spend three months exploring the dusty martian plains. Ned potter ABC news New York.

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