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JPL's Perseverance Mars rover breaks off-world distance record
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover in a selfie-style picture it took of itself in 2021. It broke the record for longest distance traveled by a vehicle on another planet on Sunday, Oct. 11.
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Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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Topline:
NASA said Monday its Perseverance Mars rover, built and operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, has broken the record for greatest distance traveled by a vehicle on another planet. On Sunday, its odometer notched 28.10 miles, breaking the previous record of 28.06 miles set by the Opportunity rover.
Why it matters: NASA says Perseverance's record caps almost 30 years of NASA rover operations on Mars, with each one going farther and performing better than its predecessor. The rover achieved the milestone while traveling toward an area of Mars called "Idubi," where it's investigating what NASA says might be some of the oldest terrain ever explored in our solar system. The team is hoping to find evidence of ancient hydrothermal systems in that area.
What's next: More mileage! NASA just approved the first extension of Perseverance's mission, which it says will keep it on Mars through at least 2028.
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