Watch NASA scientists panicking after laying a probe on Mars for the first time in 6 years

NASA scientists and engineers celebrate the landing of the InSight Mars probe.

• The NASA InSight lander landed on Mars Monday afternoon after a nearly seven-month trip to the red planet.
• Scientists applauded NASA's mission control in California, embracing and engaging in crazy handshakes.
• The spacecraft will study the interior of Mars over the next two years, taking the temperature of the planet and checking for the presence of earthquakes.

Scientists at NASA's California control mission applauded Monday afternoon after the InSight lander safely landed on Mars.

Dozens of scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California laughed, huddled against each other and engaged in a wild handshake to celebrate the first landing on Mars for six years. Some NASA employees, including systems engineer Ravi Prakash, said they had not shaved since the launch day of InSight to mark the trip of nearly seven month of the LG on the red planet.

See also: NASA InSight LG returned its first photo of Mars a few minutes after landing – take a look

"It never gets old," said chief engineer Rob Manning at a live NASA show. "What a relief."

For some scientists, Monday 's landing was a dream year. Chief Investigator of InSight, Bruce Banerdt has considered studying in the interior of Mars since he was a graduate student about 40 years ago.

"It's a job I've been working on since the beginning of my professional career," Banerdt said. "I find it fascinating."

Manning said he spent a lot of time imagining how the mission could go wrong, but Monday 's landing matched exactly what he hoped for.

Some scientists have been working on the mission for years.

The landing on Monday's planet Mars was the first since NASA's Curiosity robot reached the planet in 2012. Generally, about four or five years go by between the start of a mission of NASA and the launch of a spaceship. However, InSight took about two years late, said Michael Watkins, Curiosity Mission Manager.

While the InSight LG presented a design similar to that of an old successful spacecraft, the Phoenix 2008 LG, it took longer than expected to build a precise seismometer.

NASA's director, Jim Bridenstine, said the mood in the control of the mission was intense on Monday afternoon, going from very quiet to festive once the good news was confirmed.

As soon as the landing gear landed on Mars, Bridenstine said that he had received a call from a number with all zeros. He stepped in to hear Vice President Mike Pence, Chairman of the National Space Council, congratulating NASA on its successful mission.

"Calling it a few seconds after the success of the mission is great," said Bridenstine.

InSight was the first landing on Mars since Curiosity in 2012.

Domenico Giardini, professor of seismology and geodynamics in Switzerland, said scientists have been working in this direction for 20 years.

NASA is collaborating with several international scientists who will help badyze the interior of Mars. Giardini said his team would be attentive to seismic events and meteorite impact.

NASA hopes to confirm the deployment of InSight LG's solar panels around 8:30 pm. EST on Monday. The lander will then study Mars for two terrestrial years, taking the temperature of the planet and checking the earthquakes.

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