Space & clever machines · Published 15 October 2026
No petrol stops, plenty of rocks: a new driving record on Mars
The next time a journey feels slow, spare a thought for the six-wheeled scientist picking its way across another planet.
NASA announced on 12 October that Perseverance had become the best-travelled vehicle on the surface of another world. The rover passed the record on 11 October, reaching 45.22 kilometres, just beyond the 45.16 kilometres logged by its fellow Mars explorer Opportunity.
That might sound like a modest road trip here on Earth. On Mars, every rock matters. Perseverance took about five and a half years to reach the milestone, compared with almost 15 years for Opportunity. Its AutoNav system helps by photographing the ground, making a three-dimensional hazard map and choosing a route between points set by its team on Earth.
The achievement is more than a robot's impressive mileage counter. Longer journeys let the mission examine a wider variety of ancient rocks. Perseverance is exploring beyond the western rim of Jezero Crater, with its newly extended mission expected to continue through roughly the end of 2028. There are still plenty of rocky reasons to keep rolling.
Source: NASA Science, published 12 October 2026. Our perspective and gift suggestions are separate from the source reporting.
