NASA’s Curiosity rover hit a rare “hostage” scenario on Mars when a massive rock called Atacama became stuck to its drill arm. The sampling mission effectively paused for nearly a week after the drill couldn’t retract or reposition, forcing controllers to wait out the complication before resuming operations.
NASA says its Curiosity rover has detected the most diverse set of organic molecules ever found on Mars, including multiple compounds not previously seen on the planet. The findings come from an ancient rock sample drilled by Curiosity and bolster the case that Mars once had conditions favorable for life, even as researchers stress that this is not direct proof of biology.
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