ScienceScienceAlertNASA's Perseverance Just Broke The Off-World Driving Record, While Mostly Steering Itself
NASA's Perseverance rover has driven further across another planet than any spacecraft in history, covering more than 45 kilometres on Mars.
When we look up at Mars, many millions of miles away, it's inspiring to think that someone may be looking back at us – not any heat-ray-equipped aliens, thankfully, but one of humanity's greatest accomplishments: NASA's Perseverance rover. In July of 2020, the affectionately nicknamed Percy left Earth forever in a bright flash of hope during some of modern history's darkest days. It, and we, have come a long way since then. Earth (our "pale blue dot") playing peek-a-boo behind Mars' moon Phobos, as observed by Perseverance on July 2, 2026.
NASA's Perseverance rover clocked 45.22 kilometres on Mars on October 11, breaking the off-world driving record set by the Opportunity rover.
Opportunity set the previous record of 45.16 kilometres over 14 years, while Perseverance has covered most of its distance using its own AutoNav system.
Perseverance is now exploring some of the oldest rocks ever examined on Mars, skirting the edge of Jezero Crater in the Lac de Charmes region.
Perseverance now navigates about 90 per cent of its route using its own onboard AutoNav system, processing 200,000 terrain data points per glance.
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