NASA Perseverance rover: See ‘first of its kind’ footage from Mars descent on Monday

NASA’s Perseverance rover is safe and sound on the surface of Mars, ready to survey its new home for signs of past life. We’ve already seen the fruits of its early labors in stunning images from its descent and landing. Now, NASA is teasing the release of video footage from the landing with the tagline “See Mars Like Never Before!” and buzz is building. The landing was always going to be must-see TV and just a few days post-touchdown, NASA’s ready for broadcast.

Here’s how you can see the latest Perseverance images and video from the red planet.

Mission experts will present the latest update at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 22. A number of mission scientists and NASA staff have really been hyping this one up on Twitter, so we’re expecting to see some mind-blowing footage. And you don’t need to go anywhere — just press play on the link below:

NASA also provides all the raw images beamed back from Perseverance at its homepage. Once the first few weeks of exploration are well underway, the agency will begin dumping hundreds of photos on the site, so it’s worth checking in every now and again.

Perseverance launched on July 30, 2020, beneath the early morning sun of the Florida coast aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V. It spent the last seven months traveling from Earth to Mars, shielded from the harsh environment of space within the Mars 2020 spacecraft. 

When it reached Mars, it jettisoned its outer layer and slammed into the red planet’s tenuous atmosphere. Only 10  minutes later, it had planted its six wheels firmly on the Martian soil in Jezero Crater, a location that scientists believe was once a lakebed. Where there’s water, there’s potential for life — and Perseverance will seek signs Mars was once inhabited by alien microbes.

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