• During routine drilling of the Atacama rock on April 25, a 13-kilogram rock slab remained attached to the drill’s protective cover on the Curiosity rover.
  • NASA reported that such a problem had never occurred before, although drilling had previously broken or separated upper rock layers.
  • The stuck rock piece detached on May 1 after engineers changed the drill’s tilt angle and repeated vibration attempts; the rock shattered upon impact with the ground.
  • The Curiosity rover landed on Mars in 2012, and its drilling system has had previous issues, including electrical shorts and debris interfering with operation.
  • Despite the problems, Curiosity enabled the discovery of long-chain organic molecules in Martian rock.
  • The rover continues to explore Gale Crater and Mount Sharp, more than 13 years after the mission began.

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