The first image sent back to Earth by Perseverance taken shortly after landing on Mars Thursday Feb. 18, 2021.
NASA landed its fifth rover on Mars after a nearly seven-month journey capped by a 12,000-mph blast through the Martian atmosphere and a gentle touchdown.
Now, the work of science and exploration begins.
Perseverance, built at JPL in Pasadena, is the most advanced rover on the planet. The SUV-sized rover has a suite of science equipment and even a small helicopter that deployed April 19 in a Mars exploration first.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. >Sign up here.
Powered by plutonium, the rover landed in a 5-by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta that’s filled with pits, cliffs and rocks. The rover will send back images of its surroundings within hours of landing.
It also will capture audio of Mars with an array of advanced microphones.
NASA and JPL provided the following resources for users to explore Mars along with Perseverance.
Map
Where’s Perseverance? Use this interactive and updated map to track the rover’s location at Jezero Crater as it searches for signs of ancient life.
Images and Video
The first images arrived shortly after landing. A few days later, the 25-camera rover sent back first-of-its-kind video. Click here for updates as more spectacular views of Mars are sent back to Earth.
Sounds
Several microphones will capture audio of the Red Planet. Here's some of what NASA hopes to capture.
It can drill for soil samples and has an onboard science lab, so of course Perseverance can tweet. Follow the rover here.
