Perseverance
News, coverage and analysis tracking Perseverance across the outlets.
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NASA’s Perseverance is about to out-drive every rover that ever reached Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover is set to break the record for the longest distance driven by any vehicle on another world, surpassing the mark set by the Opportunity rover. Perseverance has achieved this milestone primarily through its advanced auto-navigation system, which allows it to drive autonomously for most of its journey on Mars. This technology, enabled by a more modern processor compared to its predecessor Curiosity, allows Perseverance to cover ground more efficiently and expand the scope of its scientific investigations in Jezero Crater.
NASA may reroute Perseverance’s Earthbound twin to the lunar south pole
NASA is considering repurposing a ground-based engineering test model of its Perseverance rover, potentially as a hybrid with the Curiosity rover, for a lunar south pole mission named PROMISE. This rover would utilize a plutonium-powered radioisotope thermoelectric generator for continuous operation, independent of sunlight, to survey the lunar south pole for water ice and characterize the environment. The project, estimated to cost between $700 million and $1.3 billion, is not expected to launch before the early 2030s.
Perseverance checks in from Mars with a selfie, the mounting pollution from satellite launches, and more science stories
The Perseverance rover on Mars has sent back a new selfie, while concerns grow regarding pollution from satellite launches. This week's science news covers these and other developments.