We won’t just be taking more observations of comets and asteroids; we’re also going to continue to look at the compositions of other worlds. Part of that work will be done by the newly arrived Percy rover, which is still undergoing its initial checkout after landing. Oh, and that landing site has a new name. Percy is located in the Jezero Crater on a patch of red that is now called “Octavia E. Butler Landing.” 

As part of its rover checkout, Percy took its first drive and went about 6.5 meters or 21.3 feet. This wasn’t exactly a record-setting drive, but it was enough to make sure things are working. Once Percy has dropped the Ingenuity helicopter and begins its regular science operations, it’s expected to travel 200 meters or so at a time. Accounting to Anais Zarifan, a testbed engineer at NASA JPL: When it comes to wheeled vehicles on other planets, there are few first-time events that measure up in significance to that of the first drive. This was our first chance to ‘kick the tires’ and take Perseverance out for a spin. The rover’s six-wheel drive responded superbly. We are now confident our drive system is good to go, capable of taking us wherever the science leads us over the next two years. 

In addition to doing a bit of driving, the mission team is also installing software updates, checking out cameras, stretching out the rover’s robotic arm, and testing all its joints. Honestly, if you packed me in a tiny capsule and sent me on a cold six-month journey to another planet, I’d probably be moving slowly and stretching carefully myself. So far, everything looks good, and we can’t wait to see this little rover doing science.

More Information

NASA press release

CNN article