CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – On June 14, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover achieved a major milestone by traveling a full marathon distance runners trek length across the Red Planet
The 1 ton robotic explorer reached the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers) on Sol 1890 of its mission – after five years and four months of driving since touchdown inside the ancient lakebed named Jezero crater on Feb. 18, 2021.
The previous Martian record holder, NASA’s Opportunity rover, took 11 years and two months to reach the same milestone some 10 years ago.
The momentous marathon distance driving occasion was captured in spectacular fashion in a stunning image taken overhead by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) using its powerful High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera while circling the Red Planet.
The 6 wheeled rover’s wheel tracks can be seen tracing the surface in the lead image above – showing a yellow circle around Perseverance
The SUV sized rover is currently exploring in an area west of Jezero Crater that the science team is calling “Arbot.”
Here is an updated route map:
It investigated the crater’s western delta and inlet river valley, Neretva Vallis, before summiting the crater rim in December 2024 following a rim-to-crest climb of 2,620 feet (800 meters).
The high resolution imahges captured by HiRISE help the rover science team decide where to direct Perseverance to gather the best science and sample
To date Perseverance has collected 30 core samples along the marathon drive – out of 38 total samples possible
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