Perseverance Rover Tops 26.2 Miles on Mars, Completing Marathon After 5 Years
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Jun 18
Perseverance Rover Tops 26.2 Miles on Mars, Completing Marathon After 5 Years
3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Jun 18
Summary
NASA said Perseverance has now traveled more than 26.2 miles, or 42.2 kilometers, across Mars since landing in February 2021.
The milestone makes Perseverance only the second Mars rover to complete a marathon-distance trek; Opportunity also did it, but took more than 11 years.
Perseverance covered the distance while exploring the Martian surface and carrying out scientific investigations, not as a dedicated speed run.
The benchmark also underscores the scale of future human Mars challenges, with surface travel complicated by temperatures as low as minus 225 F, a 95% carbon-dioxide atmosphere and bulky spacesuits.