Perseverance Rover Achieves Historic Distance on Mars Surface
WHO:
CBS News - NASA's Perseverance rover team, including Steven Lee, project manager of the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
WHAT:
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - Perseverance rover has traveled a total of 28.1 miles as of October 11, 2026, surpassing the previous record of 28.06 miles set by Opportunity.
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - During its drive on October 11, 2026, Perseverance covered a distance of 299.6 feet (91.31 meters) on its 2,006th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - Perseverance rover has now traveled a total of 28.1 miles, setting a new record for the farthest distance traveled by any vehicle on the surface of another planet.
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - The rover reached this milestone while exploring what scientists believe may be some of the oldest terrain in the solar system.
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - NASA stated that Perseverance has collected enough data to develop a timeline of Jezero Crater's formation, dividing its history into "three major periods."
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - In 2023, NASA indicated that it was possible that microbial life once existed in Jezero Crater.
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - Perseverance rover has exceeded the initial expectation of driving 12.4 miles during its mission, now reaching a total of 28.1 miles.
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - Steven Lee stated that the rover has "blown well past" the initial driving expectations and is likely to "keep adding to this record for many years to come."
CBS News - Perseverance rover set a record by traveling 28.1 miles on Mars, surpassing the previous record of 28.06 miles set by NASA's Opportunity rover.
CBS News - Perseverance has been exploring Mars since 2021 and has made significant discoveries at Jezero Crater.
CBS News - NASA extended the Perseverance mission to explore the rim of Jezero Crater until the end of 2028.
WHERE:
CBS News - The rover is located on the western rim of Mars' Jezero Crater.
WHEN:
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - NASA extended the Perseverance mission to explore the rim of Jezero Crater until the end of 2028.
CBS News - Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021.
CBS News - The previous record by Opportunity rover was set during its exploration from 2004 to 2018.
WHY:
CBS News - Scientists hope to find traces of ancient hydrothermal systems in Jezero Crater, which may indicate the past existence of microbial life.
HOW:
[9:02 AM EDT] - CBS News - Perseverance's autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, allows it to "think while driving," enabling it to navigate and plan its route independently.
CBS News - Perseverance uses an autonomous navigation system called AutoNav to collect images, map hazards, and plan its route.
CBS News - The rover can travel at top speeds of up to 1,351 feet in one sol, the Martian solar day.
(UPDATED October 14, 2026 10:58 UTC)
NASA's Perseverance rover has made history by traveling a total of 28.1 miles, surpassing the previous record of 28.06 miles set by Opportunity. On its 2,006th Martian day, Perseverance covered an impressive distance of 299.6 feet, or 91.31 meters, during its drive. In exciting news for space exploration, NASA has extended the Perseverance mission to explore the rim of Jezero Crater until the end of 2028.
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(UPDATED October 14, 2026 02:04 UTC)
NASA's Perseverance rover has set a new record by traveling a total of 28.1 miles, making it the farthest distance any vehicle has traveled on the surface of another planet. This milestone was achieved while exploring what scientists believe to be some of the oldest terrain in the solar system, and the rover has gathered enough data to create a timeline of Jezero Crater's formation, which it has divided into three major periods. With its advanced autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, Perseverance can "think while driving," allowing it to independently navigate and plan its route.
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(UPDATED October 13, 2026 15:07 UTC)
The Perseverance rover has surpassed its initial driving expectation of 12.4 miles, now reaching an impressive total of 28.1 miles during its mission. Steven Lee noted that the rover has "blown well past" those expectations and is expected to continue adding to this record for many years to come. This remarkable achievement highlights the rover's durability and the ongoing success of its exploration efforts on Mars.
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(UPDATED October 13, 2026 14:09 UTC)
NASA's Perseverance rover has set a new record by traveling 28.1 miles on Mars, surpassing the previous record of 28.06 miles held by the Opportunity rover. Since landing in February 2021, Perseverance has been exploring the western rim of Jezero Crater and has made significant discoveries, prompting NASA to extend its mission until the end of 2028. The rover employs an autonomous navigation system called AutoNav, allowing it to travel at top speeds of up to 1,351 feet in a single Martian day while searching for signs of ancient hydrothermal systems that could indicate past microbial life.