WATCH | Nasa releases 'first-of-its-kind' footage from rover's Mars landing
Perseverance touched down on Mars soil last week Thursday, sending fascinating images from the Red Planet
Image: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/Handout via Reuters
Days after Nasa’s Mars rover Perseverance touched down on Mars's surface, the US space agency has released “first-of-its-kind” footage from the “Red Planet”.
Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to another world, streaked through the Martian atmosphere last Thursday and landed safely inside a vast crater, the first stop on a search for traces of ancient microbial life on the red planet.
The six-wheeled vehicle came to rest about 2km from towering cliffs at the foot of a remnant river delta that is considered a prime spot for geobiological study on Mars.
The robotic vehicle sailed through space for nearly seven months, covering 472 million kilometres. Moments after touchdown, it beamed back its first black-and-white images, one of them showing the rover’s shadow on the desolate, rocky landing site.
Since then, the rover has been sending back fascinating images from the surface of the planet.
On Monday Nasa has released more footage and images showing the vehicle's descent and landing.
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Image: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/Handout via Reuters
Image: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/Handout via Reuters
Image: Nasa TV/Handout via Reuters