Images: Perseverance reaches ‘marathon’ milestone on Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover was seen as a green speck on the Martian surface on June 13, 2026, the day before it marked a distance milestone of traveling a full marathon (26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers). It reached this distance on the 1,890th Martian day of its mission after five years and four months of driving, whereas the previous record holder, NASA’s Opportunity rover, took 11 years and two months to achieve the same milestone.

NASA’s Perseverance rover appears as a green speck on the Martian surface on June 13, 2026, a day before the robotic explorer marked a distance milestone, having traveled a full marathon (26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers) on the Red Planet. Perseverance reached that distance after five years and four months of driving—on the 1,890th Martian day (sol) of its mission; the previous record holder, NASA’s Opportunity rover, took 11 years and two months to reach the same milestone.