JPL’s Perseverance Rover Returns First Color Images From Mars

Jet Propulsion Laboratory team members on Friday unveiled the first color images sent back to Earth by the Perseverance Mars rover after its successful touchdown on the surface of the Red Planet on Thursday.

The first image sent back by Perseverance immediately following the landing was taken through a closed lens cap, in black-and-white.

But as the rover settled into its new surroundings at Mars’ Jezero Crater and sent back data, scientists, as well as the public, were treated to some new views on Friday morning.

In addition to a portrait of the Martian landscape, Perseverance also photographed one of its wheels, giving a close-up view of the local terrain, as well as an image of the rover dangling from a “jet pack” like device that lowered it gently to the surface.

While the rover’s mission is only just beginning, engineers were delighted with its performance so far, including Thursday’s perfect landing, Perseverance Chief Engineer Adam Stelzner said.

“Last night went as smoothly as we could have wanted it to go,” Stelzner said.

The success was the culmination of eight years of work by hundreds of engineers at JPL and thousands more assisting around the globe, he added.

“When we do such investments, we do them for humanity, and we do them as a gesture about humanity, Steltzner said.

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