See first NASA images of Mars from Perseverance rover
Updated Feb 22, 2021;
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world touched down on the planet Mars on Thursday after a 203-day journey and now the rover has sent back its first photos from the Red Planet.
The Mars Perseverance Rover traversed 293 million miles after it launched on July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It successfully touched down on Mars at 3:55 p.m. on Thursday.
The mission marks an ambitious first step in the effort to collect Mars samples and return them to Earth.