JOIN USDon't miss this selfie from the red planet. NASA's rover Curiosity has started drilling on Mars for the third time and did not miss the opportunity to take its Martian self-portrait.
The drill has begun at a geologically interesting location nicknamed "The Kimberley". In this selfie, Curiosity appears to be leaning its "head" -- a suite of instruments including the Chemcam and Mastcam cameras to the side -- capturing the 5 km high Aeolis Mons ('Mount Sharp') on the horizon.
In coming days, the rover will conduct a preparatory "mini-drill" operation to check the area for readiness, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a statement.
The hammering drill on Curiosity collects powdered sample material from rocks and then delivers portions to laboratory instruments onboard. The self portrait has been put together by Discovery News.