NASA’s Perseverance Rover successfully lands on Mars - TASS

The US Perseverance Rover has successfully touched down on Mars and sent two pictures back to Earth almost immediately, NASA reported Thursday.

"Touchdown confirmed," the broadcast commentator said. The space agency clarified that it had already received two images from the planet.

The landing took almost "seven minutes of terror" as NASA calls it in an automatic regime due to a delay in command transmission.

"I’m safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere," the rover ‘tweeted’ after the touchdown.

The landing was planned to take place near the Jezero Crater. A full check of Perseverance’s systems and equipment is expected shortly after.

NASA specialists seek to use the rover to detect traces of life on Mars from long ago. Perseverance will also gather rock and ground samples in 40 special containers, while most of them will be collected by another rover in 2026. NASA expects that the samples will be eventually delivered to Earth in the 2030s.