"The rock, dubbed "Atacama" and measuring 1.5 feet in diameter at its base and 6 inches thick, weighed approximately 28.6 pounds (13 kilograms). After drilling the sample on April 25, the rover operators retracted Curiosity's arm as they had done many times before. However, this time, the entire rock was lifted, "suspended by the fixed sleeve that surrounds the rotating drill bit," according to NASA."
"First, the team tried vibrating the drill to shake off the rock. No joy. On April 29, they tried reorienting the robotic arm and vibrating the drill again. Some sand shook loose, but Atacama remained firmly attached to the drill."
"Finally, on May 1, the team tried tilting the drill more, rotating and vibrating the drill, and spinning the drill bit, and success! The rock tumbled off, fracturing on the ground."
"This," wrote NASA, "lets Curiosity adjust its arm motion and avoid getting stuck while drilling kind of like you might."
NASA's Curiosity Rover encountered a problem when a rock named Atacama became stuck to its drill after sampling. The rock weighed approximately 28.6 pounds and was lifted along with the drill. Remote control techniques were employed to free the rock, including vibrating and reorienting the drill. After several attempts, the team successfully dislodged Atacama by tilting, rotating, and vibrating the drill, allowing it to fall and fracture on the ground. Curiosity has faced similar challenges since its launch in 2012.
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