NASA’s Perseverance rover sets speed records on Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover is setting new speed records on Mars thanks to the AutoNav automatic navigation system, writes Gizmodo.

The trip from June 26 to July 31, during which the rover overcame Snowdrift Peak, was indicative. Perseverance covered the distance of 759 meters in about a third of the time it would have taken other rovers.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in addition to the speed of the vehicle itself, also noted the complexity of the route in that area.

“It was much denser than anything Perseverance has encountered before — just absolutely littered with these big rocks,” the laboratory’s scientists explained.

By the way, recently scientists found a unique way to fly to Mars in 26 days. To do this, they propose using airbrushed solar sails. However, only small payloads weighing up to a kilogram can potentially be sent on such a trip.