NASA's Mars Curiosity rover is preparing to fire its laser at a nearby rock. Picture: AFP / NASA Source: AFP
THE NASA Mars rover Curiosity is preparing for its first laser target practice - zapping a Martian rock.
Some time next week the remote robot will take aim at a rock about 3m away.
Since landing in an ancient crater August 5, Curiosity has been getting a full health checkup. Scientists said on Friday they have chosen a generic-looking rock near the landing site to aim the laser at and burn a small hole.
The laser is one of 10 tools Curiosity will use to study whether the environment was favorable for microbial life.
In several weeks, the rover will head east to a spot where three different types of terrain intersect. By year's end, it will start its trek toward a mountain rising from the crater floor.
original: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/nasa-rover-prepares-to-use-laser-on-a-martian-rock/story-fnd134gw-1226453037647
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