Curiosity on the way down!

Wouldn’t you know it. I just finished posting and 10 minutes later got wind of the video of the Curiosity Rover descending to the surface of Mars. So here you go. While the resolution’s low, I suspect you’ll still enjoy the ride. These are thumbnails; full resolution pictures/video will be sent in the coming months. 297 of the approximately 1,504 color photos taken by the descent camera were put together to create the short sequence. They cover the final 2 1/2 minutes of the rover’s wild ride.

Color thumbnail image taken by Curiosity 2.5 minutes before touchdown showing the 15-foot-diameter heat shield after separation from the spacecraft. It was about 50 feet away at the time. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The video’s not just cool to look at; the pictures have a purpose, too.

“These images will help the mission scientists interpret the rover’s surroundings, the rover drivers in planning for future drives across the surface, as well as assist engineers in their design of forthcoming landing systems for Mars or other worlds,” said Mike Malin, imaging
scientist for the Mars Science Lab mission.