NASA-Curiosity-Rover
Nasa's Curiosity Mars rover conducted a test on 17 October, as part of the rover team’s development of a new way to use the rover’s drill. Credit: Nasa.

The test was conducted to find ways to resume the rover’s drilling operation, which was suspended after suffering a mechanical problem last December.

Return-to-drilling development chief engineer Douglas Klein said: “This is the first time we’ve ever placed the drill bit directly on a Martian rock without stabilisers.

“The test is to gain a better understanding of how the force/torque sensor on the arm provides information about side forces.”

Before performing the test, Curiosity touched its drill onto Martian ground on 17 October, marking the first time it has touched the ground in ten months. The procedure saw the rover pressing its drill slightly downward, before applying smaller sideways forces to measure the ground with a force sensor.

“The test is to gain a better understanding of how the force/torque sensor on the arm provides information about side forces.”

The ‘feed-extended’ drilling test is expected to help Nasa engineers to determine how data from the sensor can be used most effectively.

However, the five-year-old mission is still several months away from the resumption of drilling into Martian rocks.

Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) deputy project manager Steve Lee said: “We’re steadily proceeding with due caution to develop and test ways of using the rover differently from ever before, and Curiosity is continuing productive investigations that don’t require drilling.”

Between 2013 and 2016, Curiosity used its drill 15 times to obtain sample material from Martian rocks.

The rover collected powdered rock samples and delivered them to the laboratory instruments placed within its body.