NASA’s InSight lander has performed a perfect and critical entry and descent through the Martian atmosphere to gently touchdown on Mars’ Elysium Planitia.  The landing came after a flawless six and a half month cruise through the interplanetary space between Earth and Mars and was humanity’s first successful landing on Mars in over six years following 2012’s August landing of NASA’s Curiosity rover at Gale Crater.
Confirmation of landing came through the Deep Space Network at 15:01 EST (2001 UTC) on Monday, 26 November following the 7 minute descent and landing of InSight on the Martian surface – during which the science platform slowed itself from 12,300 mph (19,800 kph) to just 5 mph (8 kph).