NASA's Perseverance Rover Transmits to Earth from the Surface of Mars

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image of its "ejectable belly pan" laying on the surface of Mars on March 14, 2021 (Sol 23) using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm. The camera is situated high on the rover's mast and aids in driving. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. In cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), subsequent NASA missions would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. NASA/UPI