NASA releases first images taken by the Curiosity rover

NASA has released the first images taken by the Curiosity rover, after Sunday's successfully landing on the surface of Mars. The black and white pictures were unveiled at a press conference on Monday.

More detailed colour images will follow later, including a panoramic view of the landing site. There'll now be several weeks of systems checks before the six-wheeled, nuclear-powered rover begins to move across the Martian surface.

Over the next two years, Curiosity will drive over the mountain at the centre of the Gale Crater, in which it landed. It's equipped with instruments that can examine the insides of rocks, and scoop up rust-tinted soil.