GoKawiilPerseverance rover sets new Mars distance record at 28.10 miles
NASA says its Perseverance rover has now traveled 28.10 miles (45.22 km) on Mars, surpassing Opportunity's previous record of 28.06 miles (45.16 km). Perseverance reached the mark in about five and a half years, far faster than Opportunity's nearly 15-year run, and is now heading toward a site called Idubi to study ancient terrain.
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The pace suggests Perseverance's autonomous navigation system, which NASA says handles over 90 percent of its driving, has made long-distance exploration far more efficient than earlier rover missions. Faster, more reliable mobility could let the rover reach and study scientifically valuable sites, like the ancient rocks at Lac de Charmes, sooner than earlier missions could have managed.
- Perseverance has traveled 28.10 miles, beating Opportunity's 28.06-mile Mars distance record.
- It achieved this in roughly a third of the time Opportunity took.
- Its AutoNav system autonomously handled over 90% of the distance, aided by a recent software update.
Source: engadget.com — Steve Dent, 2026-10-13
Published there as: “NASA's Perseverance rover breaks record for off-world driving distance”
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