CHECK-UP IMAGE ON-BOARD MARS ROVER CURIOSITY

The link below shows an image taken on 23 February 2013 on-board the Mars rover Curiosity. It was taken by the Mastcam camera.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16766.html

This is a check-up picture, taken just after the delivery of a sample of Martian powdered rock into the SAM intrument, following drilling into the rock. It shows the sample-processor and the delivery tool.

The clarity of this image is remarkable.

CURIOSITY ROVER STARTS DRILLING FOR ROCK SAMPLES

The Mars Curiosity rover has today drilled into a Martian rock at Yellowknife Bay and collected a rock sample for the first time. It's now six months since Curiosity landed.This is a wonderful step forward for interplanetary science - the first historic such probing of a rock on another world.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21399857

The pictures from Mars show what looks like a small mound of fine grey powdered rock.
The hole drilled for the sample is 6.4 cm deep and 2.0 cm diameter. The next step will be to transfer the sample into two scientific instruments to carry our careful measurements: Chemin and Sam.

An incredible achievement. To be carrying out precise scientific experiments remotely with samples on the Martian surface is amazing.