Mars record: Perseverance now holds the longest drive on another world
NASA's rover has driven 45.22 kilometers, passing Opportunity. About 90% of the distance was driven autonomously.
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (cropped and resized)
NASA's Perseverance rover now holds the record for the longest distance driven on another world. Since landing in Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, it has traveled 45.22 kilometers (28.10 miles), edging past the Opportunity rover's 45.16 kilometers (28.06 miles). Perseverance needed about five and a half years to do so; Opportunity took nearly 15. The image marking the record drive was taken Oct. 11, the mission's 2,006th Martian day.
The key is AutoNav, an autonomous navigation system that continuously images the terrain, builds a 3D map of hazards and plots its own course. It can cover up to 412 meters (1,351 feet) in one Martian day. Perseverance drives about 90% of its distance this way, while Spirit and Opportunity used a first-generation version for only about 5%. “Given the autonomy to just go, Perseverance is a better driver than the one that landed,” said Mark Maimone of the rover's robotic operations team.
“The original mission called for no more than 12.4 miles of driving,” said project manager Steven Lee. The extended mission began in October and is planned to run to about the end of 2028 along the rim of Jezero Crater. Sun glare currently limits drives toward the sun. The rover has cached 29 rock and regolith samples for a possible return to Earth, a mission that has no firm commitment yet.