WINAMAC, Ind. (AP) — When the Mars “Curiosity” Rover touched down on the red planet early Monday, so did the names of 43 Winamac Boy Scouts and troop leaders.

As part of their science and space-themed curriculum, members of Boy Scout Troop 229 in Winamac submitted their names to NASA in 2009 to be carried on a microchip on the back of the Curiosity. The NASA rover successfully landed this week after 8 1/2 months of travel and is intended to search for evidence of signs of life on the planet.