CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has released the first close-up picture that captures a rover descending to the surface of Mars.
The space agency revealed the photo Friday, less than 24 hours after the Perseverance rover successfully landed near an ancient river delta to search for signs of life.
NASA equipped the spacecraft with a record 25 cameras, many of which were turned on during Thursday's descent.
Perseverance can be seen just 6 1/2 feet off the ground, being lowered by cables attached to an overhead sky crane.
NASA promises more photos in the next few days and possibly also an audio recording of the descent.