NASA Mars Curiosity: Details of drilled Martian rock to be revealed
Posted: 03/12/2013
LOS ANGELES - Curiosity drilled into its first Martian rock a month ago. Now scientists will reveal what's inside.
Gathering at NASA headquarters Tuesday, the rover team will detail the minerals and chemicals present in a gray pinch of ground-up rock.
The rock results come seven months after Curiosity made a dramatic landing in an ancient crater near the equator. It has been slow going since then as engineers learn to handle the car-size rover.
Scientists are thrilled with the latest achievement -- a first on Mars. It involved boring a hole, scooping the powder and running it through Curiosity's instruments.
By analyzing the rock's interior, researchers hope to determine whether the landing spot was habitable. They already have one hint -- an ancient streambed that Curiosity crossed to get to the rock.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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