NASA's Perseverance rover has driven the equivalent of a full marathon across the surface of Mars. The milestone of 26.2 miles was reached after five years and four months of operation.
The rover hit the distance on its 1,890th Martian day. An image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on June 13, 2026, captured Perseverance as a small green speck west of Jezero Crater in a region nicknamed Arbot, one day before the official mark.
Perseverance completed the distance in less than half the time required by the previous record holder, the Opportunity rover, which needed 11 years and two months.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, built by Lockheed Martin Space, provided the overhead view using its HiRISE camera. Operations for both rovers are managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
