spacetoday.net: NASA confirms Curiosity collected rock sample with drill

NASA confirms Curiosity collected rock sample with drill

Posted: Thu, Feb 21, 2013, 7:21 AM ET (1221 GMT)
MSL first rock sample, Feb 2013 (NASA/JPL)

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has collected the first rock sample obtained from within a Martian rock, project officials said Wednesday. Curiosity used its drill for the first time earlier this month on a rock named "John Klein", but it was only early Wednesday that engineers were able to confirm that the rover had collected a sample during drilling. Curiosity returned images showing powered rock collected in the drilling poured into a scoop on the rover. The sample will be shaken through a sieve in the coming days to remove larger particles, and the rest will be transferred to instruments on the rover for analysis.