PASADENA, CALIF. – Fresh off their successful twin missions to the surface of Mars, NASA scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory today celebrated the landing of the first of two unmanned pods on the surface of the South Bay. The successful landing at Torrance's Del Amo Shopping Center today will create raised expectations for Operation Totally, which will go for another victory with the landing of a similar unmanned pod this week on the Hermosa Beach pier plaza.

Dozens of scientists crowded around computer screens as Operation Totally's Dude One lander entered the Earth's atmosphere at about 2:08 p.m. this afternoon. Anticipation and nervousness took over mission control as the $200 million lander went through its blackout period caused by the Earth's atmosphere. This was the most difficult part of the mission, according to a JPL spokesman, because Dude One was required to fire re-entry rockets, deploy its landing parachute and find parking at the mall all by itself.

"It's on its own," said the spokesman, who was wearing a Foghat concert T-shirt. "Good luck, little guy."

Nervousness turned to jubilation six minutes after entry when scientists received a short coded message from Dude One that it had landed safely and found a parking space near J.C. Penny. Shortly thereafter, the Dude One Rover began sending back its first black and white images from the food court.

Over the next few days, scientists will perform a series of tests to determine how well the Dude One, nicknamed "The Duder" by JPL officials, is responding to the air conditioned atmosphere in the mall. If all is determined to be well, the rover will conduct experiments to determine if there is any food worth eating in the food court and if Banana Republic has a decent pair of jeans for less than $60.

Dude Two, expected to touch down on Hermosa's pier plaza sometime Wednesday, will conduct tests into whether it's possible to get into any of the good bars without waiting in line, as well as determine why any self-respecting person would go to Aloha Sharkees.

Operation Totally is being funded through the sale of a house on The Strand in Manhattan Beach that one of the JPL scientists inherited from his mother. Future experiments from both landers will determine soil water content and why so many Realtors are such jerks.

(Jan. 31, 2004)

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