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Curiosity Releases First Full-Size Martian Rock, Atacama

5/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Curiosity’s drill experienced the first full-size Martian rock clinging to its robotic arm.
The rock, named Atacama, measured about 1.5 feet wide, 6 inches thick and weighed roughly 28.6 pounds.
Engineers vibrated the drill, reoriented the arm, then added rotation and spinning until the rock released and fell to the surface on May 1, 2026.
Hazard and navigation cameras recorded both the attachment and the dislodging attempts.

History

Historical Context

The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit first used the Rock Abrasion Tool on the Adirondack rock on 6 February 2004, grinding a 45 mm-wide, 5 mm-deep hole while drawing about 30 watts. Developed by Honeybee Robotics, the RAT enabled later rovers—Curiosity, launched in 2011, and Perseverance—to expose fresh rock for analysis, underscoring a decades-long trend toward more robust sampling designs for future missions.

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Story summary

Curiosity’s drill experienced the first full-size Martian rock clinging to its robotic arm.
The rock, named Atacama, measured about 1.5 feet wide, 6 inches thick and weighed roughly 28.6 pounds.
Engineers vibrated the drill, reoriented the arm, then added rotation and spinning until the rock released and fell to the surface on May 1, 2026.
Hazard and navigation cameras recorded both the attachment and the dislodging attempts.

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