Curiosity Rover Dislodges Stubborn Mars Rock After Week-Long Effort
After a drilling operation on April 25, 2026, a rock specimen remained stubbornly lodged in the rover's drill sleeve. It took a week of precise commands to free it.
The Anomaly
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover faced an unexpected challenge during a routine sampling operation. On April 25, 2026, after drilling into a rock formation, a specimen nicknamed "Atacama" failed to release from the rover's drill sleeve.
The rock was substantial: measuring approximately 1.5 feet (0.46 m) in diameter at its base, 6 inches (15 cm) thick, and weighing about 28.6 pounds (13 kg) . When the drill bit lifted out of the ground, the rock remained suspended on the fixed sleeve surrounding it.
The Response
The rover team on Earth commanded a series of maneuvers over several days:
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April 29: The team instructed the rover to reorient its robotic arm and vibrate the drill. While this caused sand to fall, the rock remained attached.
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May 1: A more aggressive sequence was commanded. The team ordered the drill to tilt, rotate, and vibrate, followed by spinning the drill bit.
The Result
On the first attempt of the May 1 sequence, the rock detached from the sleeve. It fractured upon hitting the ground. The entire process was documented by Curiosity's black-and-white hazard cameras and navigation cameras.
Background Context
While Curiosity has previously encountered fracturing or separation of upper rock layers during drilling, this marks the first instance of a rock remaining attached to the drill sleeve.
This information is based on a NASA press release describing the rover's operations on Mars.