Monday, August 10, 2026 Strategy, technology, media, and social systems

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Sorin Adam Matei

Analysis, research, maps, and essays from Sorin Adam Matei.

Mars Science Laboratory and Rover Curiosity Landing Sequence Animation and Coordinates (Precise Longitude – Latitude Location ) – Maps, KMZ, Videos

Mars Curiosity Rover Landing Site

Mars Rover Curiosity has landed at 4.59S / 137.44 E coordinates, in Gale crater, not far from a ridge, on a smooth flat plain. It landed just like it was expected within an elipsis just a few kilometers wide. This photograph released by NASA shows where the Rover has landed.

https://matei.org/ithink/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Mars-Rover-Landind-Site.kmz Right click, save as and download the file at this link, to open in Google Earth (make sure you are in the Mars layer) and see the landing location.

Mars Curiosity Rover Landing Site
Mars Curiosity Rover Landing Site

This even more spectacular picture shows the Rover descent module while it was descending at the end of its parachute.

The landing sequence animation can be seen in this video

The landing as seen by the Rover’s cameras

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGMDXy-Y1I[/youtube]

Mars Curiosity Rover parachuting
Mars Curiosity Rover parachuting
One of the first pictures sent back by Curiosity included it's own shadow
One of the first pictures sent back by Curiosity included it’s own shadow

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