NASA’s Curiosity Rover Frees Its Drill From a Rock
5 May 2026, 17:58 GMT
By Rafael Alanis
Topic: Photojournal
Credit: Rafael Alanis
Source URL: https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-curiosity-rover-frees-its-drill-from-a-rock/
On April 25, 2026, Curiosity drilled a sample from a rock nicknamed “Atacama,” which is an estimated 1.5 feet in diameter at its base, 6 inches thick and weighs roughly 28.6 pounds (13 kilograms). When the rover retracted its arm, the entire rock lifted out of the ground, suspended by the fixed sleeve that surrounds the rotating drill bit. The post NASA’s Curiosity Rover Frees Its Drill From a Rock appeared first on NASA Science .