NASA's Curiosity rover has begun drilling into the surface of Mars again after a nearly two-year break due to a mechanical issue. Engineers recently revealed they'd developed a new technique to restore the robotic explorer's drilling ability, using its robotic arm to push the bit forward as it spins, much like a human might operate a drill. In an important step forward, Curiosity has now tested out the technique, using it to drill a 2-inch-deep hole in a target called'Duluth.' NASA's Curiosity rover has begun drilling into the surface of Mars again after a nearly two-year break due to a mechanical issue The .6 inch-wide hole drilled by Curiosity on May 20th marked the first rock sample it's captured since October 2016; its drill was taken offline in December of that year. The new drilling technique is known as Feed Extended Drilling (FED), and keeps the drill's bit extended beyond the stabilizer posts that were previously used to steady the drill against the rocks, NASA explains. Engineers tested the technique over the last few months.