NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has set a new interplanetary distance record, traveling 28.10 miles in just five and a half years.
Learn how autonomous navigation and software optimizations helped achieve this milestone.
The robot, which weighs 2.260 pounds and can travel at a top speed of 0,1 mph, achieved the milestone while heading to an area called Idubi to inspect a site. The vehicle’s great endurance is due in part to its smart autonomous navigation system, which allows it to navigate on its own for most of its journey. With the help of a recent software upgrade, Perseverance can now roll more and turn less to reduce wear and tear on its components.
Despite Perseverance's new record, another NASA robot, Curiosity, is also continuing its exploration of Mars and has traveled 23,7 miles so far. In human missions, the Apollo 17 rover has traveled the farthest at 22,21 miles.
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