Perseverance rover beams back images from Mars after historic landing

The surface of Mars is seen directly below NASA's Mars Perseverance using the Rover Down-Look Camera as it was lowered to the Martian surface, in an image acquired February 22, 2021.   NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

A portion of a panorama made up of individual images taken by the Navigation Cameras, or Navcams, aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover shows the Martian landscape February 20, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

The surface of Mars directly below NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is seen using the Rover Down-Look Camera in an image acquired February 22, 2021.   NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

NASA's Perseverance rover descends to touch down on Mars, February 18, 2021. The image of the dangling science lab, striking for its clarity and sense of motion, marks the first such close-up photo of a spacecraft landing on Mars, or any planet...more

The first high-resolution, color image to be sent back by the Hazard Cameras (Hazcams) on the underside of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is seen after its landing on Mars February 18, 2021.  NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

The surface of Mars directly below NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is seen using the Rover Down-Look Camera in an image acquired February 22, 2021.   NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

The deck of NASA?s Perseverance Mars rover, featuring the PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), one of the instruments on its stowed arm, is seen in an image taken by the rover's navigation cameras on Mars February 20, 2021....more

A green dot marks where NASA?s Perseverance Mars rover landed in Jezero Crater on Mars February 18, 2021, in a base image taken by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

One of the six wheels aboard Perseverance is seen in a high-resolution, color image sent back by the Hazard Cameras (Hazcams) on the underside of the rover after its landing on Mars February 18, 2021.  NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

A panorama made up of six individual images taken by the Navigation Cameras, or Navcams, aboard Perseverance rover shows the Martian landscape February 20, 2021.  NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

The surface of Mars directly below NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is seen using the Rover Down-Look Camera in an image acquired February 22, 2021.   NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

The descent stage holding the rover can be seen falling through the Martian atmosphere, its parachute trailing behind, February 18, 2021. The ancient river delta, which is the target of the Perseverance mission, can be seen entering Jezero Crater...more

The first images arrive moments after Perseverance successfully touched down on Mars, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, February 18, 2021.  NASA TV/Handout via REUTERS

The surface of Mars directly below NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is seen using the Rover Down-Look Camera in an image acquired February 22, 2021.   NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS

Members of NASA’s Perseverance rover team react in mission control after receiving confirmation the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, February 18, 2021. NASA/Bill...more

Members of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover team watch in mission control as the first images arrive moments after the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, February 18, 2021....more

Members of NASA’s Perseverance rover team react in mission control after receiving confirmation the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, February 18, 2021. NASA/Bill...more