Mars rover sets NASA record, but Soviet Union still overall champ
NASA's Exploration Rover Opportunity has beaten the record for the farthest total distance driven by a NASA vehicle not on Earth, the space agency announced Thursday. The record was previously held by Apollo 17's lunar roving vehicle, which traversed the Moon in December 1972.
Since it landed nine years ago, the red rover has driven 22.22 miles on Martian soil. The lunar vehicle tallied 22.21 miles almost 41 years ago, with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt behind the wheel.
The rover landed on Mars in January 2004 to explore the Martian terrain, and only covers a handful of feet a day. When it beat the record, it was driving a distance of 263 feet near the western rim of the Endeavour Crater.
Another rover, the Mars Curiousity, landed on August 5, 2012 to study the environment of Mars. It has driven only .434 miles so far.
More at http://www.chron.com/communityblogs/atmosphere/article/Mars-rover-sets-NASA-record-but-Soviet-Union-4525755.php?cmpid=hpfsln .