NASA has released the first images from the Mars rover which landed earlier in the week.

The rover was sent on a fact finding mission, attempting to analyze and discover whether elements on Mars contain the potential to harbor life.

The rover sent back its first images within moments of landing inside a crater.

'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,' Mission manager Mike Watkins told Reuters.

'You know, to me, it's representative of, of course a successful landing on Mars, it's representative of a new home, for the rover, of a new mars we have never seen before, and so every one of those pictures is the most beautiful I have ever seen'.

This history making moment was a rare opportunity for celebration by NASA which has had a tough few years with the cancellation of the space shuttle and budget cuts.

'It's just mind blowing to me, I think to all of us, so, I cannot say more than that, it's just the coolest thing,' added Miguel San Martin, of NASA's Descent and Landing Team.

Despite these tougher times the $US2.5 billion project is the first biological endeavor since the 70s.

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NASA releases new Mars photo