Overview
- During a sampling run in late April, the rover lifted an entire rock nicknamed Atacama when it pulled back the rotating drill.
- Engineers first tried vibration-only moves twice, then ran the drill while rotating and moving the arm, which made the rock drop.
- NASA says the stone likely caught on a sleeve that surrounds the drill, based on images and checks.
- The rover is back to work, and the team is reviewing the event while keeping the repeatable fix ready if it ever happens again.
- Curiosity has explored Gale Crater since 2012 and has recently reported new organic molecules in very ancient rocks.