NASA’s Curiosity rover landing was a cause for celebration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology ”“ and here in Biddeford.

Biddeford-based Fiber Materials Inc., which manufactures highly engineered advanced carbon composites, built part of the heat shield for the rover that helped it survive the high temperatures and friction generated during its descent through the atmosphere of Mars before it touched down.

The company makes composites for the aerospace and defense industries and high temperature insulation for industrial use. And in this case, put its products to the test on a major mission in space.

The company, now part of GrafTech International, headquartered in Parma, Ohio, built part of the heat shield made out of a proprietary carbon composite material developed by the team in Biddeford, according to Craig Shular, chairman and CEO of GrafTech. The material may have encountered temperatures up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit, he said.

Now that the rover has landed safely on Mars’ surface, people all over the world can view low-resolution video of the Curiosity’s entry into Mars’ atmosphere, and soon, high quality video and images will be available as well.

Just one year ago, NASA announced the end of an era when the Atlantis shuttle made its last trip into orbit in July 2011. The final launch closed a 30-year program that cost close to $200 billion and took the lives of 14 astronauts.

The final launch also marked a time of uncertainty for NASA, as the agency was charged with sending humans to an asteroid by about 2025 and to Mars a decade after that.

Now that the shuttle missions have ended, we’re pleased to see that NASA is focusing on the work ahead, building rovers and other apparatus to travel through space and bring back important data for future exploration and manned trips to Mars and beyond.

NASA is still serving its purpose ”“ exploring what’s in space, how to travel through it and learning from the information that is gathered.

As technology continues to advance, we look forward to the developments NASA engineers and employees like those of Fiber Materials Inc. will conceive. Space exploration will continue to be a program of the U.S. government, and it is important that the U.S. maintain a strong program, as NASA is responsible for more than just space travel.

NASA does much valuable scientific research and develops applications for weather and communications satellites. The agency also develops flight technologies that improve aircraft here on Earth as well as those in space. And thanks to private businesses like Fiber Materials Inc., which are providing NASA with their products, Mainers and people all around the United States have well-paying careers building new and developing technologies used by pioneering agencies and industries.

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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham representing the majority opinion of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.