Tracks Along the Longest Drive on Another World
NASA’s Perseverance rover set a new off-world driving record of 45.22 km on Mars, surpassing its own milestone while conducting science in challenging terrain.
On October 11, 2026, NASA’s Perseverance rover reached 45.22 kilometers (28.10 miles) on Mars, breaking the record for the longest drive on another celestial body. Its engineering twin on Earth received a Guinness World Records plaque to mark the achievement. The milestone was surpassed during a routine drive after the rover spent weeks conducting proximity science on ancient rock outcrops, delaying its progress toward the record.
Perseverance navigated dense boulder fields and steep slopes, prompting the team to adjust driving guidelines. Engineers raised the rover’s tilt limit to 24 degrees, reduced belly clearance requirements to 20 centimeters, and updated braking software to avoid rock hazards. These changes were tested through thousands of simulations to ensure safe traversal of tough Martian terrain.
The rover’s team implemented several software and hardware updates to enhance autonomous driving. They repurposed Ingenuity Helicopter Base Station’s processor for Global Localization (GBLC), enabling GPS-like positioning on Mars. To mitigate radiation-induced memory errors, the team developed a software-based hardening approach for the unshielded coprocessor.
Looking ahead, the team is exploring generative SI to streamline AutoNav planning for longer drives with fewer resources. Perseverance’s record-setting journey is reshaping how NASA approaches autonomous exploration on Mars, as the rover continues climbing the crater rim toward new scientific targets.