The IT behind Mars Science Laboratory's landing of the Curiosity rover

During Curiosity’s seven-minute approach to the Martian surface, a communications device monitored its performance and fed this information to NASA.

Mars Express Lander Communications (MELACOM) is a UHF transceiver on the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft, currently in orbit around Mars. 

Designed by the British technology firm Qinetiq, the transceiver sends commands to the rover vehicle and aids in relaying data and pictures back to Earth.