NASA Names Curiosity Landing Site After Ray Bradbury

NASA nerds are the best nerds.

This is Bradbury Landing, the newly named clearing where NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover landed earlier this month.

These tracks were left by Curiosity on Aug. 22, when it moved for the first time — forward 15 feet and reverse about 8 feet. The rover is now about 20 feet from its landing site.

Image by NASA / Reuters

Yay dirt!

Image by NASA / Reuters

Yay rocks!

Image by NASA / Reuters

This historic landing site was named after legendary science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. The dedication was announced Wednesday.

Image by Damian Dovarganes / AP

Wednesday would have been Bradbury’s 92nd birthday. He died earlier this summer.

Source: spacesafetymagazine.com

The Bradbury announcement is the latest in a string of awesomely nerdy NASA stunts — from its tweeting of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy lines to its scientists’ very public geek-out when Curiosity landed…

Image by Damian Dovarganes / AP

Image by Brian van der Brug / AP

Image by Brian van der Brug / AP

Never change, NASA. Never change.