CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – NASA’s latest Mars rover hit the dusty road this week and put 21 meters on the odometer in its first test drive.
The Perseverance Rover on Thursday, two weeks after landing on the red planet, ventured from its landing position to look for signs of past life.
The circle, back and forth, lasted only 33 minutes and went so well that the six-wheeled robber was on the move again on Friday.
During a news conference, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shared photos of the tire tracks over and around small rocks.
“I do not think I have ever been happier to see wheel tracks, and I have seen a lot of them,” says engineer Anais Zarafian. “This is just a big milestone for the mission. ‘
Once the system’s perseverance is complete, the rover will go to an ancient river delta to collect rocks for a decade from now to Earth. Scientists are discussing whether they should take the smoother route to go to the nearby delta or a stricter way with intriguing remains from the once watery time of 3 to 4 billion years ago.
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