Scientists from NASA provide an update on the Mars Curiosity Rover, which landed on Mars 16 days ago.
Since landing, the rover has uploaded and installed new software, sent back high-resolution images, and started to perform tests of its mission tools, including a laser system that allows the rover to analyze the chemical makeup of rocks.
The system, nicknamed ChemCam, shoots a laser at a rock on Mars, turning it into a plasma which the camera on the rover can analyze to find out the elements and their concentration in the rock. The rock that the rover first performed this test on is known as Coronation, and was chosen both for its proximity to the landing zone and its size and suitability for the test.