NASA's InSight lander snaps first selfie from Mars
No person is immune from the urge to take a selfie while they travel. Not even a spacecraft visiting Mars.
Earlier this week, NASA shared an amazing image of the InSight Lander, which touched down on Mars last month.
The selfie was captured using a camera on the lander's robotic arm, then created a mosaic with 11 images.
Viewers can spot InSight's solar panel as well as its entire deck which includes a variety of science instruments, said NASA.
Team members overseeing the mission also got their first images of InSight's workspace, consisting of a 14-by-7-foot area of terrain in front of the vessel.
Say Cheese! @NASAInSight's first #selfie on Mars reveals the lander's solar panels and deck!
The spacecraft used a camera on its robotic arm to create a mosaic made up of 11 images. Take a peek at Insight's first complete "workspace" here: https://t.co/Y5C6sCSRZV pic.twitter.com/Orh4DWli3h— NASA (@NASA) December 13, 2018
"The near-absence of rocks, hills and holes means it'll be extremely safe for our instruments," said Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement.
Over the next several weeks, team members will work through where to place instruments such as a seismometer, used to detect movement on Mars' surface.
More: NASA's Hubble telescope discovered an 'evaporating' planet, study says
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA's InSight lander snaps first selfie from Mars
