NASA's Perseverance rover continues to explore Mars, collecting rock samples and searching for evidence of ancient life. As it became known, Perseverance set a new record by making the longest trip in one Martian day.

The space agency announced on Twitter that Perseverance broke the record by traveling 798 feet (243 m) in one sol or Martian day, and then broke its own record again the next day by traveling 806 feet (245 m) on February 5, 2022. These two days exceeded all expectations. The previous record was held by the Opportunity rover for 17 years.

Perseverance operators at NASA are very careful when traveling to ensure the rover is not hit by rocks or craters that the rover could become stuck in. NASA recently released photos showing damage to the wheels of the Curiosity rover. The good news is that Curiosity can keep moving even with worn tires.

NASA reported that Perseverance also broke its own record for longest drive using the AutoNav system. The latest version of this standalone navigation system has been developed specifically for Perseverance. It uses a 3D map of the rover's surroundings to plot and navigate around hazards. Operator control is still required, but Perseverance is much more independent than any other rover.

This self-driving capability means that Perseverance's top speed has increased. The rover can potentially travel up to 393 feet per hour, a significant improvement over Curiosity's top speed of 66 feet per hour.

bbabo.Net