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NASA's Perseverance rover sets a Mars driving record
The rover's improved self-driving software allows it to pick its own route instead of waiting for commands from Earth, a key advancement that enabled the record distance.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN TonightPublished
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsWatch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN Tonight at 9:23 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by The New York Times: “NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sets a Mars Driving Record”.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 9:23 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
- Topics: Mars, NASA.
- BBN covered this story before: NASA posts 800GB of Artemis II data online (October 11).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- The New York TimesNASA’s Perseverance Rover Sets a Mars Driving Record
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNASA's Perseverance rover has set a new driving record on Mars, and the reason is that improved self-driving software lets it pick its own path instead of waiting for instructions from Earth.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA car on another planet is driving itself better than my cousin's Tesla, and nobody on Mars is even honking.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt moves slower than a walking dog, Kenji, and it still has to stop and think about every rock.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentStop and think. Relatable.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe skeptical question is who checks the route, and the answer is engineers a hundred million miles away, hoping the wheels hold up.
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Photo: Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, US Forest Service · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: The original uploader was Mav at English Wikipedia . · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: InvadingInvader · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wikideas1 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
The story so far
- Mars Dust Off the Hook for Strange Clouds, Mashable Says · Mashable
- Britpop Mars Probe Honored; WIRED Eyes AI Midterms · BBC
- NASA Releases Nearly 1 TB of Artemis II Data to the Public · Wired
- NASA asks industry to build private space stations · Ars Technica
- Roman Temple to Mars Unearthed Beneath Forest Floor · Newser
- NASA posts 800GB of Artemis II data online · The Verge
- NASA's Perseverance rover sets a Mars driving record (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, October 12, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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