Selfie on Mars: NASA’s InSight has landed and the pics are class

Nov 27, 2018

NASA has released the first image of the spacecraft InSight from the surface of Mars.

The snap, released via the spacecraft's own Twitter page, shows the probe on the red surface of the planet

Arguably, this could be considered the first ever selfie on Mars, and to be fair, if it took us 7 months to get somewhere, we would be taking a selfie when we arrived too.

There’s a quiet beauty here. Looking forward to exploring my new home. #MarsLanding pic.twitter.com/mfClzsfJJr

— NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 27, 2018

The craft launched on May 5th of the year and landed yesterday, November 26th 2018.

The craft landed in an area called the Elysium Planitia, a relatively flay, sandy area on the planet.

This area, on the planet's equator, was chosen specifically, as the craft would be unable to land and set itself up properly on Mars' rocky, cratered Northern hemisphere.

Aaah…soaking up the Sun with my solar panels. After a long flight, and thrilling #MarsLanding, it feels great to get a good stretch and recharge my batteries. (Like, literally.) It’s just what I’ll need to really start getting in tune with #Mars. https://t.co/yse3VEst3G pic.twitter.com/LpsiI0KNNz

— NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 27, 2018

'Today, we successfully landed on Mars for the eighth time in human history,' said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

'InSight will study the interior of Mars and will teach us valuable science as we prepare to send astronauts to the Moon and later to Mars.'

'This accomplishment represents the ingenuity of America and our international partners, and it serves as a testament to the dedication and perseverance of our team.'

'The best of NASA is yet to come, and it is coming soon.'

NASA hopes to have a human land on Mars in the late 2030s.