The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) specialists have a new event in the exploration of Mars - the rover drilled a hole in the clay soil of the Gale crater.
"Don't let your dream be a dream," the rover's team of scientists tweeted. “I am finally under the surface of these clays. Research ahead."
"This is the moment the mission has been waiting for since Gale Crater was chosen as the landing site," said Curiosity team member Scott Guzewich.
The rover's goal of drilling a hole in the soil down to the bedrock at the site, which the mission participants called Aberlady, has been achieved. Next, the Curiosity team will study the composition of the resulting rock sample, seeking to learn more about this region of Mars.
After announcing in 2011 that Curiosity would be sent to Gale Crater for research, the space agency talked about the likely presence of water in the region in ancient times, as well as how this could affect the search for signs of organic compounds.
"Some minerals, including those that Curiosity can detect in the clay- and sulfate-rich layers at the base of Gale Crater's central peak, hold organic compounds well and protect them from oxidation," NASA said at the time. Now the agency's specialists have the opportunity to get to know these breeds better.
Source: 3dnews.ru