NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover breaking driving records on Red Planet

NASA's self-driving Perseverance Mars rover continues to break driving records as it treks across the Martian surface seeking signs of ancient life. With a top speed of 0.1 miles per hour, the rover is currently driving a three-mile journey to get to the Jezero river delta, an area where an ancient river flowed into a body of water and deposited sediments. 

Still winding my way across the plain to the delta up ahead using my self-driving mode. I’m making good progress, and even hit a new record: 520 meters (0.32 miles) over three consecutive days.More on self-driving mode: pic.twitter.com/Y8WMNtVie5

— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 8, 2022

Launched in 2020, the rover's primary goal is to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) that could be returned to Earth by a future mission. The mission will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.

Perseverance's auto-navigation system, AutoNav, allows the rover to drive faster in challenging terrain. The autonomous system makes 3D maps of the terrain ahead, identifies hazards like craters, and plans a route around any obstacles without additional direction from controllers back on Earth. Unlike previous rovers, Perseverance has the ability to process and analyze images while the wheels are still in motion. 

"Perseverance's self-driving ability is very important to this mission. It allows us to get to the Jezero river delta as fast as possible, and that gives the science team as much time there to study the rocks and collect samples for future return to Earth," says Tyler Del Sesto, a rover driver for NASA's Perseverance.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon.