NASA’s Curiosity rover encountered a rare and unexpected problem on Mars when a drilled rock became stuck to its robotic arm. After several attempts, the rover finally managed to shake the rock loose in a dramatic sequence captured on camera.
The “Atacama” rock gets stuck
On April 25, 2026, Curiosity drilled a sample from a rock nicknamed “Atacama.” The rock is estimated to measure about 1.5 feet (46 centimeters) across at its base, around 6 inches (15 centimeters) thick, and weighs roughly 28.6 pounds (13 kilograms).
When the rover pulled back its robotic arm, the entire rock lifted out of the ground, still attached to the fixed sleeve surrounding the rotating drill bit. While drilling has fractured or separated upper rock layers before, NASA says a rock has never remained stuck to the drill sleeve like this.
The mission team first attempted to shake the rock loose by vibrating the drill, but nothing changed.
Multiple attempts finally free the rock
On April 29, engineers tried again by repositioning Curiosity’s robotic arm and vibrating the drill once more. Images show sand falling away from Atacama, but the rock itself remained attached to the rover.
Finally, on May 1, the team made another attempt. This time, Curiosity tilted the drill further, rotated and vibrated the drill, and spun the drill bit. Engineers had planned to repeat these actions several times, but the rock broke free during the very first attempt. As it hit the Martian surface, the rock fractured into pieces.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
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