The hammer drill hammer for a while hollowed without rotation flat rocky section in Gale Crater. The study underground rocks will allow to analyze the chemical composition of minerals, who were not exposed to the Martian climate and find out what Mars looked like in the past. 
Photos from open sources In the pictures taken after drilling, Depressions made in the rock are noticeable. The device is just starting to a two-year research program. Though previous rovers could also scrape rock samples with on a rocky surface, Curiosity has a real mobile laboratory and multi-tool drilling system. Process drilling is divided by experts in the NASA control center into several stages. First they have to make sure that the one selected for drilling the rock section and the drill itself behave in accordance with theoretical forecast. If a piece of rock is suitable for research, it will be drilled several test wells with using percussion instruments and rotating drills. And only then will the sample turned into fine dust enter on-board laboratories of the rover. Curiosity’s mission is to determine if Gale has been in the crater area in the past conditions in which bacteria could exist. Study of the composition rocks is of great importance from the point of view embedded in them annals of geochemical conditions under which surface of Mars. Obtaining rock samples from a depth of several centimeters will allow for the first time to analyze the chemical composition minerals that are not exposed to the external Martian climate and ultraviolet radiation. Curiosity is located to east of the landing site – in a small cavity, which is assigned code designation “Yellowknife Bay”. At this point three various types of geological structures. The plot is made up of fine-grained sedimentary rock permeated with sulfate veins calcium. This territory is also assigned a symbol – “John Klein,” in memory of the late NASA employee who hosted participation in the development of Curiosity. Mission members are satisfied already the results obtained, since many of the previous the studied rocks have obvious signs of exposure to liquid water. Shortly before arrival at the device selected for drilling, recorded in this area rounded boulders formed in distant past under the influence of flowing water, probably at the bottom Martian streams or rivers. Roscosmos announced a competition for manufacture of the Proton-M rocket to launch the ExoMars probe Recall that the American mission Curiosity is not the only project on exploration of the red planet. In 2016, as part of a joint ExoMars Russian-European Project Launches TGO (Trace Gas Orbiter) probe for exploring Mars and landing on its surface a demonstration landing module EDM. In 2018, a landing platform with a rover will be launched. It was originally a joint project of ESA and NASA, however the American side got out of it, after which the Europeans turned with a proposal for cooperation to Roskosmos. According to the project agreements between Roscosmos and the European Space Agency, The Russian side provides two missiles for the ExoMars project “Proton-M” and provides launches of vehicles from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Russian experts are creating a number of scientific instruments for the mission, and also responsible for the development of the landing platform. Initial The (maximum) amount of a rocket manufacturing contract is a little less than 1.4 billion rubles, the rocket should be ready by 25 November 2015 Applications for the competition are accepted until March 12, his The results will be announced on March 21. The tender in this case is formality, since Proton-M launch vehicles are manufactured only the Khrunichev Center. ESA will introduce the first geological map of Mars European scientists in early June present a complete geological map of the surface of Mars, which will allow you to start searching for a landing site for the European rover project “ExoMars”. This was announced by the head of the European Space Agencies Jean-Jacques Dorden. “In early June we will introduce mineralogical map of Mars – the entire planet. It will be based on data collected by the Mars Express probe. This card will contain very important information regarding the history of surface water Mars, “said Dorden .. He added that the geological map of Mars will allow scientists to start choosing landing sites for the future rover. Elizaveta Kuznetsova PANORAMA MARSA
Water Climate Mars NASA Rocket Roscosmos Mars Rover Curiosity
