NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has become the farthest-travelling human-made vehicle on another world, reaching 45.22 kilometres on 11 October. Operating in and around Jezero Crater, the rover surpassed the 45.16-kilometre record set by Opportunity during its 2004–2018 mission, achieving the mark in roughly five and a half years after landing on Mars in February 2021.
The record came on Perseverance’s 2,006th Martian day, or sol, after a 91.31-metre drive. The rover is investigating Jezero’s ancient environment for evidence of microbial life and collecting rock and soil samples for potential return to Earth.
Opportunity required almost 15 years to cover the previous record distance before its mission ended in 2018. Perseverance’s original mission planning envisaged approximately 20 kilometres of driving, meaning the rover has already travelled more than twice that distance.
NASA’s Curiosity rover remains active on Mars and has covered more than 38.07 kilometres. The new record refers specifically to total distance driven on the surface of another world.