Curiousity beams back colour photos

Scientists and engineers get their first proper glimpse of the Martian Gale Crater

Mars rover Curiousity has for the first time beamed back colour images of the planet's suface.

The high-tech robot rover returned 130 low-resolution thumbnail images from the color Mast Camera. The images are providing scientists and engineers with their first color panorama glimpse of the Gale crater, which may have been filled with water billions of years ago.

In its short time on the surface the rover has provided a plethora of new data, including more high resolution, black and white 360-degree and deck panorama images from the Navigation Camera. These images show small pebbles deposited on the deck during landing, but they should pose no problems for its mission on Mars.

The six-wheeled high-tech rover landed on Mars at 6.31am UK time, on 6 August 2012. It's mission is scheduled to last 98 weeks, the length of one Martian year.

• Read our news story to find out more about the Mars rover Curiosity