40 Of The Most Eye-Opening Photos From NASA’s Perseverance Mission To Mars

NASA’s Perseverance mission to Mars finally landed on the Red Planet in February 2021. And the wait has definitely been worth it. Now established on the planet’s surface, the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter it took along have been transmitting astonishing images back to their home planet. Here are 40 of the most amazing photos – they’re literally out of this world!

40. Strange rocks

This fascinating array of rocks – captured by Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z camera – apparently covers an area about 10 feet wide. We wonder what could be hiding there... The image itself is from the 66th Martian day of the mission. A solar day on Mars is called a sol, and each reportedly lasts for 39 minutes and 22 seconds longer than the 24 hours we’re accustomed to on our planet. 

39. Ingenuity’s first flight

Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z camera also caught the first flight of the Ingenuity helicopter. And this was a history-maker. That short spin through the Mars atmosphere was the first time a controlled aircraft had flown on Mars or any celestial body other than Earth. We bet the folks at NASA were overjoyed!

38. Ready to drop

The Ingenuity helicopter was transported to Mars inside the Perseverance rover. And once Perseverance had safely landed, it was time to let Ingenuity fly. Here it is in the process of being dropped. Those four legs – which were folded away – are now touching the surface of the Red Planet. Exciting!

37. Mars from above

The Ingenuity helicopter is also equipped with a color camera, and that enabled it to capture an eye-catching shot of Mars from above. The photo was taken from a height of 17 feet as Ingenuity flew away from the rover. And yet again, this moment made history. NASA has said of the photo, “This is the first color image of the Martian surface taken by an aerial vehicle while it was aloft.”