Photos: Inside NASA’s JPL

NASA employees express joy after establishing connection with Curiosity on Mars.

NASA employees express joy after establishing connection with Curiosity on Mars.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Pasadena Sun

NASA engineers celebrate inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Media room

Folks in the media room begin reacting to NASA employees after establishing connection with Curiosity on Mars.  (Timothy Berger / Times Community News)

Success

JPL employees celebrate Curiosity’s successful landing on Mars.  (Brian Van Der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

JPL rock star

Activity leader Bobak Ferdowsi cuts his hair differently for each mission.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Propulsion engineers

Propulsion engineers Todd Barber and Raymond Baker, right, prepare for the landing inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Musician will.i.am at JPL

NASA scientist Jim Garvin, right, talks with musician will.i.am, center, and Astronaut Leland Melvin, left, next to a model of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge.  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)