'Congratulations to NASA': Joe Biden hails 'historic' Perseverance rover landing on Mars

US President Joe Biden on Thursday congratulated the National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) for the successful landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars. Biden hailed "power of science" and "American ingenuity", adding it proves nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. NASA's Mars probe touched down on the surface of the Red Planet at 3:55 pm Eastern Standard Time. 

Read: Mars Landing Live: NASA Rover Lands On Red Planet, US President Biden Terms It 'historic'

"This landing is one of those pivotal moments for NASA, the United States, and space exploration globally – when we know we are on the cusp of discovery and sharpening our pencils, so to speak, to rewrite the textbooks. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission embodies our nation’s spirit of persevering even in the most challenging of situations, inspiring, and advancing science and exploration. The mission itself personifies the human ideal of persevering toward the future and will help us prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet," said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. 

Read: Indian-origin Scientist Dr Swati Mohan Leads NASA's Op Perseverance Rover Landing On Mars

Most advanced robot to go to another planet

The Perseverance rover, the largest and most advanced robot sent by any country to another planet, reached Mars after travelling through deep space for more than 200 days. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California announced the confirmation of the successful touchdown. The probe was launched on July 30 during the crucial small window that opened for launch to Mars last year. 

Read: 'I'm Safe On Mars': NASA's Perseverance Lands On Red Planet After '7 Minutes Of Terror'

Perseverance rover, which has an advanced onboard laboratory, will study the Martian surface in search of any form of life. The rover has landed near Jezero Crater, which apparently had its own river delta and was filled with water some 3.5 billion years ago. The rover will look for life around the 45 kilometres-wide crater. The mission aims to bring back samples to Earth for further analysis because of more sophisticated labs here. 

Read: Who Is Dr Swati Mohan? NASA's Operations Lead For The Perseverance Rover Landing