NASA's Perseverance rover sets a new record for the longest distance driven on another planet, surpassing the previous record held by the Opportunity rover.

What it means

NASA's Perseverance rover has now driven 28.10 miles (45.22 km) on Mars, surpassing the previous off-Earth driving record of 28.06 miles (45.16 km) held by NASA's Opportunity rover — making it the farthest any wheeled vehicle has traveled on another world. The milestone occurred on Oct. 11, 2026, and was announced by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shortly afterward. Perseverance is still actively exploring Jezero Crater, so its record is expected to keep growing.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is well supported and sits close to its primary source: NASA JPL's own news release is the basis for the coverage, and the reported figures match consistently across Reuters, Space.com, and other outlets. Precision is high, with the caveat that the record is specifically for cumulative distance driven on a surface beyond Earth, not a single continuous drive.

How new

Genuinely new: the record was set on Oct. 11, 2026, and the coverage is dated Oct. 13, 2026.

Go deeper