14 DAY TRIAL // If you've ever wondered how the Mars Science laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity will conduct its analyses of soils on the Red Planet, look no further. A new update from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team handling the project shows how an Earth-based replica scoops up dirt.
The vehicle left at the JPL is identical to the one scheduled to land in Gale Crater on August 5. Experts are using it to get an idea as to how it will behave once it lands on the surface of the Red Planet.
In a new series of tests, mission controllers had the replica scoop up a portion of a specially prepared sand sample, use its robotic arm to move and study it, and then clean up the rover, preparing the machine for the next sample.
This series of maneuvers is identical to the one Curiosity will have to perform every time it wants to collect and analyze a portion of Martian dirt. Enjoy the video, and leave your comments or opinions in the section below.