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NASA rover Curiosity grabs first Martian rock sample |
February 21, 2013
NASA's super rover Curiosity has collected a sample from the inside of a rock on Mars, the first time the process has been done on another planet, NASA announced Wednesday.
The robotic rover sent images back to NASA scientists showing the drilling and an image of the powdered-rock sample in the rover's scoop (shown above).
"Seeing the powder from the drill in the scoop allows us to verify for the first time the drill collected a sample as it bore into the rock," said Scott McCloskey, NASA's drill systems engineer for Curiosity.
"Many of us have been working toward this day for years, he said. Getting final confirmation of successful drilling is incredibly gratifying. For the sampling team, this is the equivalent of the landing team going crazy after the successful touchdown."
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Link: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236995/NASA_rover_Curiosity_grabs_first_Martian_rock_sample
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