Curiosity rover drills Martian rock February 8, 2013 - 13:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Curiosity rover has drilled a test hole in a Martian rock in preparation for the real thing, Belfast Telegraph said. Images released by Nasa showed a ring of powder which was generated by the drill at the end of the rover's robotic arm. The hole measured less than an inch deep. Scientists plan to analyse the latest activity - dubbed a "mini drill test" - before commanding Curiosity to drill deeper. One of its major tasks is to drill into a rock and transfer the ground-up powder to its onboard laboratories for analysis - a first on Mars. Curiosity landed in an ancient crater near the Martian equator last year on a mission to gauge whether environmental conditions were favourable for microbes. Partner news  Top stories The deal is estimated at $700mln-$1bln, Vedomosti newspaper reported citing sources in the Russian defense industry. Ahmadinejad will be replaced by Hassan Rowhani as president on August 3 following presidential elections last week. Petr Necas' decision will end his three-party coalition government, which was created after the 2010 parliamentary election. "Are these the people you want to support? Are they the ones you want to supply with weapons?” the Russian President said.   Partner news |  Latest news Ryan Gosling crime drama “Only God Forgives” wins Sydney Film Prize  The violent film, which also stars Kristin Scott Thomas, has divided critics since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival last month.David Thewlis joins Edgar Allen Poe story-based “Eliza Graves” The thriller follows a young doctor who comes to apprentice at a mental institution and meets a beautiful patient that he falls in love with.Lionsgate nabs screen rights to “Devil In The Grove” Pulitzer winner Adam Cooper & Bill Collage, whose Moses script Exodus will be the next film that Ridley Scott will direct, will write the script.IMF calls for “ambitious” economic policy reforms in Russia The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for Russia’s GDP growth in 2014 to 3.25 percent from 3.8 percent. |
