NASA's Opportunity rover has completed the distance of a marathon -- 26.2 miles -- after more than 11 years on Mars and a road trip that has exceeded research and distance expectations.
The official time was 11 years and two months -- a snail's pace by Earth standards, but scientists and engineers still have a major reason to celebrate. Opportunity broke the record for off-Earth distance traveled that was previously held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 moon rover.
"This is the first time any human enterprise has exceeded the distance of a marathon on the surface of another world," said John Callas, Opportunity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. "A first time happens only once."
Mission team members plan to celebrate next week with a marathon-distance relay around the JPL laboratory.
Opportunity and its twin Spirit landed on Mars in January 2004 for what was supposed to be a three-month mission. Both uncovered geologic signs of ancient water.
"This mission isn't about setting distance records, of course; it's about making scientific discoveries on Mars and inspiring future explorers to achieve even more," said Steve Squyres, Opportunity principal investigator at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "Still, running a marathon on Mars feels pretty cool."
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Spirit's mission ended in 2011 not long after it got stuck in Martian sand, but Opportunity has continued its decadelong Martian road trip and passed the marathon mark after a recent drive of 153 feet.
Its long-term destination became a rocky rim atop a crater named Endeavour. The rover provided researchers with information about ancient wet conditions that were less acidic -- more favorable for microbial life.
