NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has collected its first sample from the interior of a rock on Mars, marking a major milestone for the Mars Science Laboratory project and the achievement of what the agency describes as an historic moment for robotic space exploration.
“We received confirmation from Curiosity that the drill sample has made it into the scoop, which allows us to verify for the first time that the drill acquired the sample,” says Scott McCloskey, rover planner and drill systems engineer for Curiosity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
The sample, taken from a 2.5-in. bore hole, was “about a tablespoon of powder, which is a great result,” he adds. The event marks the first time a sample has been collected from the interior of a rock on another planet.
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