NASA’s high success rates when it comes to Martian exploration missions might misconstrue just how hard it is to land on the Red Planet. In fact, of the 56 or so total missions mankind has launched toward Mars, thirty of them have been characterized as “partial failures” or worse. Between the United States, Russia, and the European Space Agency, the U.S. has secured the clear lead in Mars missions — with a higher success rate than either competitor by a wide margin.

But if you think that history of success has led to a casual atmosphere at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, during InSight’s landing on Mars earlier this week, you’d be sorely mistaken. The pressure was on as the small-car-sized lander descended through the Martian atmosphere, which at only about 1% the density of Earth’s offers very little in the way of friction to slow the spacecraft’s descent. In the span of just about five minutes, InSight went from traveling at a speed of about 12,300 miles per hour to just 5, as its legs extended and it gracefully touched down.

After waiting through the “seven minutes of terror” to find out if their spacecraft survived the descent, a signal confirming InSight’s success released an onslaught of celebratory cheers (and even a few complicated secret handshakes) at JPL.

Mars InSight team members Kris Bruvold, left, and Sandy Krasner react after receiving confirmation that the Mars InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018 inside the Mission Support Area at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

“Today, we successfully landed on Mars for the eighth time in human history,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “InSight will study the interior of Mars, and will teach us valuable science as we prepare to send astronauts to the Moon and later to Mars. This accomplishment represents the ingenuity of America and our international partners and it serves as a testament to the dedication and perseverance of our team. The best of NASA is yet to come, and it is coming soon.”