www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57486458-76/watch-nasas-live-coverage-of-mars-rover-landing/

www.space.com/16917-mars-rover-curiosity-lands-today.html

The arrival of Curiosity rover on Mars may well be the biggest, boldest extraterrestial landing for NASA since Apollo 11 settled down on the Moon in 1969

At an altitude of about 7 miles, and about 7 minutes from the surface, a parachute will deploy to slow the spaceship's cruise stage from 13,200 miles per hour, first to 900 mph and eventually to 180 mph. About a mile above the surface, the rocket-powered landing stage will take over, slowing things further to the walking-speed rate of 2 mph. At the very modest altitude of 66 feet, the rover will finally separate out, and this is where things get most interesting -- Curiosity will be lowered the rest of the way to the surface on a bridle slung on three nylon tethers below the descent stage, with an umbilical providing a power and communication connection.