Perseverance rover sets record for longest drive on another planet

NASA announced that its Perseverance rover on Mars drove a total of 28.10 miles on Oct. 11, eclipsing the earlier record of 28.06 miles set by the Opportunity rover. The achievement coincides with the rover’s investigation of the Idubi area on the western rim of Jezero Crater, where scientists are searching for evidence of ancient hydrothermal systems.

"The original mission called for no more than 12.4 miles of driving," said Steven Lee, project manager for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We’ve blown well past that, and with all mobility systems fully operational and favorable extended-ground-life test results, we expect Perseverance to keep adding to this record for many years to come."

The rover relies on its AutoNav autonomous navigation system, which creates three-dimensional maps of the terrain and selects safe routes between waypoints planned on Earth. According to Mark Maimone, deputy team chief for robotic operations, recent software updates enable the rover to reduce steering inputs and verify its position against orbital maps during drives.

The milestone marks three decades of continuous rover operations on the Martian surface.