NASA reports that its Curiosity rover on Mars successfully detaches a rock that became stuck to the drill at the end of its robotic arm. According to the published description, the rover’s drill ends up holding the rock during normal surface operations. To resolve the issue, Curiosity performs a sequence of actions: it waves the robotic arm and then runs the drill several times in an effort to break the rock free. After these attempts, the rock finally detaches from the drill.
The incident is documented through a sequence of images captured by cameras mounted on the rover. NASA notes that black-and-white hazard cameras on the front of Curiosity’s chassis record parts of the process, while navigation cameras on the rover’s mast also capture the activity. Together, the images show the full progression from the moment the rock appears stuck on the drill through the rover’s freeing maneuvers. The reports from NASA and Phys.org describe the event as a brief operational adjustment using the rover’s existing robotic arm and drill functions.
