Friday, February 8, 2013

Curiosity Performs Preparatory Drill Test


Curiosity Performs Preparatory Drill Test

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity used its drill to generate this ring of powdered rock for inspection in advance of the rover's first full drilling. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The drill on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity used percussion and rotation to bore about 0.8 inch (2 cm) into a rock on Mars and generate cuttings to evaluate for the rover's first sample-collection drilling.

If the drill cuttings pass visual evaluation as suitable for processing by the rover's sample handling mechanisms, the first full drilling will proceed in the coming days. 
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)