An extremely robust drilling tool on one of the robot arms of the Curiosity Mars Rover made it possible to obtain rock samples from Mars for the first time – in particular also due to the high technology used provided by RINGFEDER®. In order to prevent the complex and susceptible electronics system of the Rover from being damaged, a specially developed friction spring absorbs the shock forces generated during the drilling process and prevents any resonance effects. Due to the vacuum prevailing on Mars as well as the extreme temperature between -140 and +30° Celsius, the RINGFEDER® damping element was designed in high-strength stainless steel and was furthermore provided with a special dry film lubrication. With a diameter of only 18 millimetres, the friction spring effectively absorbs shocks with an energy of up to 6 Joule and therefore plays a decisive role in ensuring the faultless operation of the drilling tool.