"Sit back and enjoy the landing," said one controller as Spirit slashed through Mars' atmosphere. Ground controllers received a series of tones that showed the entry, descent and landing went by the book.

Bursts of applause broke out of mission control as the spacecraft began to feel the heat from atmospheric entry. Follow-on signals from Spirit told Earth operations that the parachute was fully deployed, with radar locking onto the Martian surface as the craft raced toward touchdown.

Signals received from Spirit indicated that the spacecraft was alive on the ground and bouncing in its airbags, perhaps bounding across the rocky terrain for several miles.

After a lengthy wait for confirmation that Spirit had survived its plunge onto Mars came the word: "We got it" from Spirit's mission control Center.

"We have a very strong signal from the rover," said Robert Manning, Entry, Descent and Landing Manager. Initial word was that the Spirit had landed in the most favorable position for later unfolding of the Rover and its eventual first traverse onto the planet's surface.

That lander position makes retracting the airbags, and the opening of lander pedals a fairly simple operation.

"We're back"

NASAs $820 million dual Mars Exploration Rover project -- Spirit and still en route Opportunity -- are designed to build upon a legacy of earlier discoveries about Mars. The two specially-equipped robots were hurled toward Mars to gain new insights regarding the history of environments on the planet -- perhaps hospitable to life in the past or possibly today.

"This is a big night for NASA. We're backand we're on Mars," said Sean O'Keefe, NASA Administrator at a post-landing press conference.

O'Keefe unveiled a bottle of champagne, saluting the entire Mars Exploration Rover team, and key NASA and JPL officials that led the effort.

"To the Mars Rover teamwell done," O'Keefe said in a special toast. "It's been a double-header around here at JPL, the NASA chief said, noting both Spirit's landing and the successful flyby of comet Wild 2 a few days ago by the Stardust spacecraft.

"I feel speechless," said Ed Weiler, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science. "I started believing when the parachute came out," he said.

According to Rob Manning, leader of the entry, descent, and landing of Spirit, the spacecraft did encounter wind buffeting high above its touch down zone, Gusev Crater. "It looks like we bounced for quite a while," he said.

First Pictures

"Welcome to Gusev Crater" howled a voice from the Spirit mission control. Phenomenal first photos were relayed from Spirit shortly after landing, sitting level on Mars.

"It keeps getting better and better," said John Callas, mission science manager for the Mars Exploration Rover project. Scientists have already starting analyzing the imagery. At the same time, a team has begun studying the imaged terrain to strategize how the Spirit rover will begin its trek across the terrain.

First image from Spirit posted on NASA/JPL website

"We're going to get a fire house of dataa flood of data," Callas said. Spirit should have no problems in wheeling itself to a rich diversity of rocks, he added, in scanning the first pictures relayed from the lander.

"We've had a perfect day," Callas concluded. "This rover is itching to explore."

"Thoughtful and careful"

Spacecraft engineers will take their time in assessing the overall health of the landed rover. First indications are that the lander's huge airbags have been successful retracted. Little by little, specialists are buoyed by the quality of the data being received from the surface of Mars.

Second image from Spirit posted on NASA/JPL website

"This is the time to be thoughtful and careful," Charles Elachi, JPL Director told SPACE.com.

The second rover, Opportunity, is zeroing in on its attempted Mars landing on January 24 at approximately 9:05 pm Pacific Standard Time.

This robot craft is heading for Meridiani Planum, a region on Mars that contains exposed deposits of a mineral -- gray hematite -- that usually forms under watery conditions. Scientists speculate that the hematite might have resulted from environmental conditions indicative of a past lake or active hot springs, perhaps hospitable to life. The iron oxide mineral could be the result, however, of hot lava -- a situation not conducive to supporting life.

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