I feel like NASA and space travel hasn't been as big of a deal to people as it should over the last 10 years or so. I mean, come one, we're launching ourselves out of this atmosphere and visiting alien planets in the search of other living organisms. It's real life science fiction! Maybe the masses are so used to the drama of movies like Armageddon that the idea of just watching a rocket launch into space seems like a bore.

Well to me, space travel has always been fascinating. And now it is also interesting (and a bit funny) to people all over the internet.

Early Monday morning the Curiosity Rover landed on Mars and as if this should be impressive enough, it also live tweeted its journey in the perspective of the rover truck and in, the ever-so-familiar, internet speak.

I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! #MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012

Then to prove that it was actually there (because honestly, pics or it didn't happen), Curiosity Rover tweeted this gem of a tweet and photo.

No photo or it didn't happen? Well lookee here, I'm casting a shadow on the ground in Mars' Gale crater #MSL twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/…
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012

He even loosely quoted his successor, Neil Armstrong:

It once was one small step... now it's six big wheels. Here's a look at one of them on the soil of Mars #MSL twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/…
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012

Curiosity continues to tweet and share pictures from his journey on Twitter.

The Rover may have been a big hit but NASA and its employees have also been an internet sensation. The entire landing was streamed live on the internet through UStream and many of the people within the control room where live tweeting their experience too. Flight Director, Bobak Ferdowsi, became an internet hit during his UStream debut for his eccentric hair and eventually tweeted:

Folks asking about my hair, here it is. Been doing this for big events on #MSL #jpl #nasa #curiosity #daremightythings twitter.com/tweetsoutloud/…
— Bobak F. (@tweetsoutloud) August 6, 2012

Not surprisingly, Bobak has become a meme as well:

Honestly, NASA had to do something. Popularity has been sinking and with the constant attention being put on the Olympics, timing wasn't perfect. NASA had to start hitting home runs with the masses and get in the limelight to keep interest high, which would therefor keep funding and innovation high.

In my opinion, NASA did a great job using current pop culture to make space travel fun, exciting, and relevant again. I give them a "job well done."

What did you think about the social media campaign around the NASA Mars Rover landing?