NASA's Perseverance rover breaks the off-world driving distance record
In short
- Perseverance passed Opportunity's 28.06-mile record in about five and a half years.
- Opportunity's record took nearly 15 years to set.
- The rover's self-driving system helped it cover the distance faster.
Why the Good News Desk likes this one
The rover's self-driving system helped it cover ground that earlier missions took far longer to reach. Its current work targets ancient Martian rock, where scientists look for clues about past environments that may once have supported life. The record is a measure of what autonomous exploration can now do.
From ScienceDaily
NASA’s Perseverance rover has shattered a historic space exploration record, traveling farther across another world than any vehicle before it. Its advanced self-driving system helped it surpass Opportunity’s 28.06-mile record in just five and a half years, a feat that previously took nearly 15. Now, Perseverance is exploring some of the oldest rocks in the solar system, searching for clues about ancient Martian environments that may once have supported life.
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For kids
A robot car named Perseverance is driving on Mars. It has driven farther than any vehicle ever driven on another world. It is looking at very old rocks to learn whether Mars once had conditions for life.
