Nasa Mars Landing: The Moment Curiosity Rover Touched Down (PICTURES)

Nasa has landed its Curiosity rover, a one-tonne robot the size of a Mini Cooper, on Mars, in one of the most daring and difficult interplanetary operations attempted.

Scientists at the Nasa control room reacted with whoops of jubilation early Monday morning as the £1.6 billion one-ton robot was lowered to the Martian surface on three nylon tethers suspended from a hovering "sky crane" kept airborne with retro rockets.

An expected signal confirming that the robot had landed was received on Earth at 6.31am UK time.

Take a look at the moment the craft touched down in the slideshow below: