Video captures drama of Mars landing

2012-08-23 22:32

Pasadena - Viewers can now relive the drama of the Curiosity rover's landing on Mars with a new video detailing the final moments of touchdown.

Curiosity is the first spacecraft to record a landing on another planet. The US space agency on Thursday posted the video on its website, embedded with audio from mission control. It starts with the heat shield falling away. The ground grows larger in view as Curiosity is lowered by cables into an ancient Martian crater.

"Touchdown confirmed" is heard, followed by cheers.

The rover arrived on 5 August to begin a two-year mission to examine whether the Martian environment was hospitable for microbial life.

Nasa previously released a low-quality video of Curiosity's landing. The latest video is higher quality, but it's incomplete and is missing several frames.

- AP