NASA’s Perseverance set a new record on 11 October for the greatest distance driven by a vehicle on another world. The Mars rover, a six-wheeled exploration vehicle, reached 45.22 kilometres after about five and a half years. It passed Opportunity’s record of 45.16 kilometres, which took nearly 15 years to achieve.
Much of this progress comes from AutoNav, its automatic navigation system. According to NASA, the system has guided more than 90% of Perseverance’s driving distance. Cameras take pictures of the ground, and the software builds a three-dimensional map to identify dangers. It then chooses a safe route between points selected by engineers on Earth. This allows the rover to make decisions while moving, rather than wait for detailed instructions.
NASA has approved an extension that will keep Perseverance exploring the edge of Jezero Crater until approximately the end of 2028. The rover has collected 29 rock and soil samples. It also found a possible sign of ancient life in a rock, although this is not proof that life once existed on Mars.
