NASA's Curiosity rover 'struggles' to shake off rock stuck on its robotic arm for nearly a week; Can now explore Gale Crater further.

NASA's Curiosity rover struggled for a week with a hefty Martian rock named Atacama, which became lodged in its drill arm on April 25 during an attempt to extract a sample.
The rock, measuring 1.5 feet in diameter and weighing 28.6 pounds, lifted into the air due to the fixed sleeve surrounding the drill bit, marking an unprecedented challenge for the team.
After a series of maneuvers—including tilting, rotating, and spinning the drill—Curiosity successfully shook off Atacama on May 1, causing it to fracture into multiple pieces. Images captured during the event reveal that Atacama broke upon impact with the ground.
In a statement, NASA representatives noted, “Drilling has fractured or separated the upper layers of rocks in the past, but a rock has never remained attached to the drill sleeve.”
The dislodged debris from Atacama will now be analyzed using Curiosity's chemistry and mineralogy instrument (CheMin) and compared with samples from a site known as Mineral King, located nearly 525 feet below Curiosity's current position.
Moreover, the successful removal of the rock allows Curiosity to resume its exploration of Gale Crater, where it has been operating for 14 years.

NASA's Curiosity rover has successfully dislodged a 28.6-pound Martian rock named Atacama that had been stuck to its drill arm since April 25. After multiple attempts, the rock finally broke free on May 1, allowing Curiosity to continue its exploration of Gale Crater.