Martian marathon: robot covers 26 miles on Mars in 11 years

Planet Mars Image by Paul T. / CC BY 2.0

A robot rover has completed the first Martian Marathon – covering a distance of 26.219 miles (42.2km) on the Red Planet in a time of roughly 11 years and two months.

Scientists operating the Opportunity rover plan a marathon-length relay run at their laboratory in California next week to celebrate.

Dr John Callas, Opportunity project manager at the American space agency Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, said: “This is the first time any human enterprise has exceeded the distance of a marathon on the surface of another world. A first time happens only once.”

(Press Association)