Curiosity Landing Photographed From Mars Orbit

Shown here is a picture of the Curiosity Rover taken from the NASA satellite Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in Martian orbit about one minute before the rover landed in Gale crater. Just after the shot was taken, the parachute holding the rover aloft was released along with the back shell as the rover's rocket sprang into life and finally this sky crane lowered it down gently onto the surface of the red planet. The parachute that you can see in this frame was designed to open at supersonic velocity and is the largest parachute ever flown to another planet.