First rock sample drilled on Mars

The Curiosity rover has drilled out a sample of sedimentary bedrock from the surface of Mars for the first time. After a test drill two days earlier on a patch of rock called John Klein, which has a vein-like structure, the drill produced a hole 1.6 cm wide and 6.4 cm deep. During drilling, powdered rock was carried up the drill to a storage chamber where it will be held until analysis.

This area was chosen for testing because the Curiosity team think that it shows evidence of a previous wet environment, so could be a piece of the jigsaw to discover signs of water, past or present, on the planet. The rock powder will be examined by the SAM and CheMin instruments over the next few days.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS