Curiosity drills into base of Mount Sharp

PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Two weeks after reaching Mount Sharp on Mars, NASA announces their rover -- Curiosity -- drills into the base of the mountain.

It's the first time Curiosity has drilled a hole into the Martian surface since May.

NASA said the robot used its power tool to get a sample from the rock at a location called "Pahrump Hills."

Scientists said that this should give them a better idea of what type of rocks the rover will face.

According to NASA, Curiosity is driving into the foothills of Mount Sharp, at the center of the Gale Crater.

Researchers said they hope the chemistry of the rocks will give them a better idea about the environmental history of the planet.

Curiosity has already established that there were lakes and rivers in the Gale Carter billions of years ago.

For the past year, Curiosity has spent much of its time just trying to get to the crater.