Curiosity extends its robotic arm

Curiosity’s extended robotic arm with turret of instruments at the end. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

The Curiosity rover has deployed its robotic arm, another major milestone in the mission. About 2.1 metres (6.9 feet) long, it is the most complex of its kind so far, with a turret of instruments at its end which includes a camera, drill, spectrometer, scoop and other tools for sieving and portioning samples of powdered rock and soil for chemical analysis. It is a big part of what makes Curiosity a true mobile laboratory!