Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Solar Energy News .




MARSDAILY
In milestone, Mars rover collects first bedrock sample
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Feb 9, 2013


In a first, the Mars rover Curiosity has penetrated a rock on the Red Planet and collected a sample from its interior, the US space agency announced Saturday.

Using a drill at the end of its robotic arm, Curiosity bore a hole 0.6 inches (1.6 centimeters) wide and 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) deep into the rock, generating powder for evaluation, NASA said in a statement.

"The most advanced planetary robot ever designed now is a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," said agency official John Grunsfeld.

"This is the biggest milestone accomplishment for the Curiosity team since the sky-crane landing last August, another proud day for America."

The rock Curiosity targeted -- described as flat and veiny -- is believed to hold evidence about "long-gone wet environments," NASA said, adding it is named "John Klein" in memory of a Mars Science Laboratory deputy project manager who died in 2011.

Over the coming days ground controllers will command the rover's arm to carry out steps to process the sample.

Beforehand, however, some of the powder will be checked for contamination that may have made it onto the hardware while Curiosity was still on Earth.

Creating a tool that could handle "unpredictable" Martian rocks was no easy task, according to NASA.

"To get to the point of making this hole in a rock on Mars, we made eight drills and bored more than 1,200 holes in 20 types of rock on Earth," said engineer Louise Jandura.

The $2.5 billion mission, set to last at least two years, aims to study the Martian environment to prepare for a possible future manned mission.

US President Barack Obama has set a goal of sending humans to the planet by 2030.

.


Related Links
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








MARSDAILY
Weekend Test on Mars Was Preparation to Drill a Rock
Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 06, 2013
The bit of the rock-sampling drill on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity left its mark on a Martian rock this weekend during brief testing of the tool's percussive action. The successful activity, called a "drill-on-rock checkout" by the rover team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, is part of a series of tests to prepare for the first drilling in history to collect a sample of rock m ... read more


MARSDAILY
Hydrothermal liquefaction - the most promising path to a sustainable bio-oil production

Scientists turn toxic by-product into biofuel booster

Reaping Profits from Landfill Biogas

Versalis and Yulex partner to produce guayule-based biorubbers

MARSDAILY
Foundation Helps Promote New Robotics Teams Worldwide

Engineers Building Hard-working Mining Robot

Robofish Grace glides with the greatest of ease

Nexter joins robot development business

MARSDAILY
Gone with the wind: French scheme targets farting cows

Mainstream Renewable Power Starts Building Wind Farm in Chile

Sabotage may have felled U.K. wind turbine

Hgcapital And Blue Energy Agree UK Wind Farm Investment Deal

MARSDAILY
Nissan profit tumbles on China, Europe woes

Japan's Suzuki sees April-December net profit rise 19%

Japan's Mazda swings back to profit

China auto sales hit record in January: industry group

MARSDAILY
Venezuela devalues again amid downturn

Shell India plans floating LNG plant

New batteries can recharge in 10 minutes

US greenlights CNOOC takeover of Nexen

MARSDAILY
Fukushima survivors to sue Japan government

Finland's TVO says reactor may be delayed until 2016

France debates nuke waste facility

World's First AP1000 Containment Vessel Top Head Ready

MARSDAILY
Genscape Announces Strategic Partnership with Murex to Create Supply of QAP-A RINS

Diageo Transitions to 100 Percent Renewable Electricity at its North American HQ

China plans stricter fuel standards after smog

Outside View: Energy realism

MARSDAILY
Taiwan's 'King of the Trees' fights for the forests

Outside View: Restoring Lebanon's forests

Mixed forest provides beneficial effects

Paper giant APP promises no deforestation in Indonesia




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement