With remarkable accuracy, the pilots on the James Cook used an acoustic navigation system to "fly" the robot over the rock three miles (4.8km) down towards the oases of life thriving around the vents.

BBC: A deep sea mission of genuine exploration

The robot, which is analysing rock samples on the Red Planet, is now running from a back-up computer.

BBC: Mars rover

"This is the first time any robot has drilled in any rock on Mars" or anywhere else beyond Earth, said Louise Jandura, chief engineer for Curiosity's sample system at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

WSJ: Rover on Mars Extracts First Rock-Core Sample

They picked the rock in Gale Crater, which the robot has been exploring since it landed there on Aug. 5, because they hope it holds evidence of wet environmental conditions long ago.

WSJ: Rover on Mars Extracts First Rock-Core Sample

Brushing away the dust gives the robot's survey instruments a clearer view of the texture and chemistry of the underlying rock.

BBC: Curiosity Mars rover deploys its rock brush