Perseverance rover breaks record for longest drive on another planet
NASA's Perseverance rover has traveled 28.1 miles on Mars, surpassing the previous record set by Opportunity, and will continue operating on the Jezero Crater rim through 2028.
NASA announced that its Perseverance rover has driven a total of 28.1 miles on the surface of Mars, establishing a new record for the longest distance covered by any vehicle on another world. The milestone was reached while the rover was traversing the western rim of Jezero Crater, an area of interest for its ancient geological formations.
The achievement exceeds the 28.06 miles logged by the Opportunity rover during its 15-year mission from 2004 to 2018. Perseverance, which landed on Mars in February 2021, has used its autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, to map terrain, avoid hazards and plan routes without direct operator input, allowing it to travel up to 1,351 feet in a single Martian day (sol).
"It is an honor to be working on Perseverance at a moment when the technology has evolved to the point that drives like these are routine," said Steven Lee, project manager for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Lee added that the rover has "blown well past" the 12.4 miles originally expected for the mission and is likely to "keep adding to this record for many years to come."
NASA also confirmed an extension of the Perseverance mission, allowing continued exploration of Jezero Crater's rim through the end of 2028.