NASA Perseverance Mars rover shattered the world driving record in record time
A new Martian distance mark
Perseverance’s odometer reached 28.10 miles (45.22 kilometers) on its 2,006th Martian day, or sol. That put it ahead of Opportunity, whose previous record stood at 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometers).
Opportunity explored Mars from 2004 to 2018 and took nearly 15 years to reach its total. Perseverance has traveled farther in five and a half years. The record was set while it moved toward Idubi, beyond Jezero Crater’s western rim in an area called Lac de Charmes.
Searching ancient terrain
Lac de Charmes contains terrain that may be among the oldest ever examined in the solar system. Similar rocks on Earth have mostly been lost through erosion and the movement of the planet’s crust; Mars has no tectonic plates.
At Idubi, scientists hope to find evidence of ancient hydrothermal systems. Heated water may once have circulated through the rocks, creating conditions that could have been suitable for life.
Autonomous driving advances
AutoNav can operate while the rover travels near its maximum speed, covering as much as 1,351 feet (412 meters) in one sol. More than 90% of Perseverance’s travel has involved the system evaluating terrain, compared with about 5% for the early autonomous systems on Opportunity and Spirit.
A longer rover legacy
Perseverance assesses about 600,000 points when examining terrain, compared with 20 measurement points for NASA’s first Mars rover, Sojourner. Sojourner traveled about 330 feet (100 meters) during its 83-sol mission in 1997.
Key points
- Perseverance has traveled 28.10 miles, surpassing Opportunity’s 28.06-mile record.
- The rover reached the milestone in five and a half years, compared with nearly 15 years for Opportunity.
- AutoNav has evaluated terrain on more than 90% of Perseverance’s traveled distance.
- An approved mission extension is expected to keep Perseverance at Jezero Crater through approximately the end of 2028.