Curiosity rover gets first Mars rock samples

NASA's Curiosity rover has become the first spacecraft ever to drill into a Martian rock and collect stone powder samples for further study, NASA said. The rover, which landed on the red planet in August 2012, used a drill carried at the end of its robotic arm to bore into the rock and collect a sample from its interior.The rock is believed to hold evidence about long-gone wet environments. "The most advanced planetary robot ever designed is now a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," said John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate. "This is the biggest milestone accomplishment for the Curiosity team since the sky-crane landing last August.Curiosity is drilling rocks up on Mars Click here for full story