NASA's Perseverance rover has set a new record for the farthest drive on another world, passing 28.10 miles on Mars. The mission team says it could still more than double that total.
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01Summary
- 01On 11 October, Perseverance reached 28.10 miles (45.22 kilometres) driven on Mars.
- 02The previous record was held by NASA's Opportunity rover at 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometres).
- 03Opportunity took 14 years to cover its distance, while Perseverance has been on Mars for 5.5 years.
- 04NASA team members said Perseverance was originally designed for about 20 kilometres of driving and could reach up to 100 kilometres in total.
- 05Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021 and the team plans to continue south along the crater rim towards Rainbow Falls.
02Why it matters
The rover's endurance shows NASA's Mars technology is performing better than originally planned, which helps extend science operations. Its continued driving could uncover older rocks and clues about Mars' past water and possible habitability.
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