But the excitement spread far beyond NASA locations: Parties in honor of the Mars rover landing were scheduled around the world.

CNN: Rover Curiosity near Mars landing

The 2, 000-pound Mars rover Curiosity made its landing on Mars on August 6, 2012, and has been sending back fascinating images and data ever since.

CNN: Mars may have once supported life, NASA says

See more images sent by the rover:The 2, 000-pound Mars rover Curiosity made its landing on Mars on August 6, 2012, and has been sending back fascinating images and data ever since.

CNN: Mars may have once supported life, NASA says

"We're about to start a major project with the UK Space Agency, putting our sensors onto things like landing vehicles for the Mars rover, " Mr Howard said.

BBC: Export 'helps south Cambridgeshire companies grow'

Landing the Curiosity rover on Mars was a big feat for NASA, but we could not have done it without the work of small businesses.

WHITEHOUSE: Small Business Google Hangout on Wednesday, Sept. 19