How far can a dentist's drill go?

Posted by tourdemars to Mars Express at April 11, 2003 12:00 PM

When ESA's Mars Express reaches the Red Planet in December 2003, there will be a drill on board its Beagle 2 lander. This drill will dig into the surface to take samples of the Martian rocks. Who would imagine that the creativity of an enthusiastic dentist is behind a 'cosmic' drill?