(exciting orchestral music)
Swati Mohan: Touchdown confirmed.
(team cheering and applauding)
Jessica Samuels: In the 10 months
since the rover has landed, we've been busy!
And it's been a year of perseverance,
from operating during COVID,
to the challenges we experienced with sampling,
to interpreting the scientific results.
It's such an appropriate name for the vehicle
but also for the team and the mission itself.
(upbeat acoustic guitar music)
This mission has a series of firsts
that will help future generations
understand more about our solar system.
One of my favorite moments
was seeing our first rock core sample,
looking down the tube when it was still in the drill bit
and confirming that it was, indeed, a success.
(team cheering and applauding)
Now that we've collected samples,
everyone wants to know when and how they'll be coming back.
We can't wait for the future mission
to pick them up and ferry them to Earth
to analyze if any of them show signs of ancient life.
Hovard Grip: The first flight of a powered aircraft
on another planet.
(team cheering and applauding)
Jessica: Another highlight of this year
was working with the helicopter team
to deploy Ingenuity
and experience the first powered flight on another planet.
It was so amazing to see the team adapt
to the environmental changes in order to keep flying.
The helicopter has become a real asset
and partner to our science team.
(bright electronic music)
It feels great to be part of making history!
What motivates us as engineers and scientists
exploring another planet
is the opportunity to continuously learn more.
Now that we've toured the floor of Jezero Crater,
we look forward to investigating the delta,
a part of the crater where a river fed into a lake
in the distant past.
It's almost as if we're starting a new mission
because we'll start to cover new ground
and make new scientific discoveries.
What I'm most proud of is the team,
how we operate the rover, overcome challenges,
and the dedication that everyone brings
to their job each and every day.
Woman: All right!
(gentle piano music)