First dissection of the

For the first time, the NASA probe touched the Martian 'pyramid' and even used a laser to pierce the stone face for structural analysis.

>>>Discover the mysterious 'pyramid' stone on Red planet

In fact, Mars 'pyramid' is an oddly pyramid-like rock. This is also the first test for the advanced analytical equipment system that Curiosity is equipped with.

Picture 1 of First dissection of the
Mysterious stone blocks are shaped like pyramids on the surface of Mars

Step one, the robotic arm of the Curiosity probe will approach 'Jake Matijevic' , the NASA name given to the rock to commemorate the late software engineer Jacob Matijevic, who is in charge of many key projects on explore Mars and die on August 20 last.

Next, the vessel uses Alpha X-ray camera (APXS) to determine the structure and composition of the pyramid stone.

'Jake Matijevic' is about the size of a football. APXS cameras are located at the end of the 2.1m long Curiosity arm. Before the X-ray of the stone, the ship used the top MAHLI camera to capture close-up Jake Matijevic.

Picture 2 of First dissection of the
Curiosity will use a 2.1m long robotic arm to touch the pyramid before analyzing.

Next, the ship will mobilize Chemical and Camera equipment (ChemCam) to fire laser beams towards the pyramid to analyze the chemical composition of the rock. Finally, the analytical results from ChemCam and APXS will be compared to provide an overview of the pyramid.

The Curiosity boarded Mars 7 weeks ago to begin a two-year exploration mission. The ship will use 10 equipped equipment to reach the designated areas in the Gale hole to study environmental conditions, surfaces, Mars structures and search for traces of life.