Mars

In photos: NASA's Curiosity sends first pictures from Mars

Rover snaps its surroundings…
1.45pm, 7 Aug 2012
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NASA’S CURIOSITY rover successfully touched down on the surface of Mars early yesterday morning.

The craft launched from Earth on 26 November 2011 and is scheduled to spend 23 months on the Red Planet.

Within hours of landing, the one-tonne car-sized rover began sending images of its Martian surroundings back to Earth:

In photos: NASA's Curiosity sends first pictures from Mars
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  • Curiosity

    The landscape north of the rover showing the north wall and rim of Gale Crater. The quality of the image is likely due to dust on the lens' removable dust cover. The cover will be taken off in the coming weeks when technicians test the rover's robotic arm. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)

  • Curiosity

    A fish-eye lens on Curiosity's hazard avoidance cameras captures the rover's surroundings after landing. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

  • Curiosity

    A black and white image captured by Curiority's hazard avoidance camera within hours of landing on Mars. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

  • Curiosity

    NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs the Curiosity rover and parachute during its descent. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)

  • Curiosity

    One of the first images taken by the rover on Mars shows its shadow. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
  • The landscape north of the rover showing the north wall and rim of Gale Crater. The quality of the image is likely due to dust on the lens' removable dust cover. The cover will be taken off in the coming weeks when technicians test the rover's robotic arm. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)
  • A fish-eye lens on Curiosity's hazard avoidance cameras captures the rover's surroundings after landing. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
  • A black and white image captured by Curiority's hazard avoidance camera within hours of landing on Mars. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
  • NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs the Curiosity rover and parachute during its descent. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)
  • One of the first images taken by the rover on Mars shows its shadow. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

VIDEO: The happiest group of NASA employees you’ll see today >

PHOTOS: “Touchdown confirmed!” Celebrations as NASA rover lands on Mars >

PHOTOS: Missions to Mars through the years >

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