At a news conference in Pasadena, California, NASA scientists released more images from Mars.

The rover Curiosity decended through pink Martian skies on August 5, and landed in an ancient crater.

Moments later, it sent back the first images.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE WATKINS, MISSION MANAGER, SAYING:

"I really love these images because you know, later we are going to get magnificent color panoramas and 3d images and magnificent things on Mars. But these first images somehow are always the best ones to me. Because when you land on Mars its new every time."

NASA mission manager explained what Curiosity will be doing.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) JENNIFER TROSPER, NASA MISSION MANAGER, SAYING:

"When the rover wakes up, we are going to do two critical things today. We are going to check out the high gain antennae and I will talk to you a little bit, and we are also going to do some instrument health checks. Now, the reason we want to check out the high gain antennae is because we want to make sure we have as many communication links as possible."

NASA said the two-year mission will seek evidence the Red Planet once hosted ingredients for life.

The $2.5 billion Curiosity project is NASA's first astrobiology mission since the 1970s-era Viking probes.