Perseverance rover uses artificial intelligence software to schedule tasks on Mars

NASA deployed artificial intelligence software to control the Perseverance rover on Mars starting on 5 October 2023, Eos Earth and Space Science reported. The software, called On Board Planner, makes on-the-spot scheduling decisions on the Martian surface to reduce wasted time and energy. NASA launched the Mars 2020 mission in July 2020 to send the rover to explore Jezero Crater, an ancient lake and river delta chosen for its potential to host signs of past life. [1]

For more than two years after Perseverance landed in February 2021, ground operations teams controlled the vehicle using conventional programming and predetermined schedules, according to Eos Earth and Space Science. The new autonomous software allows the rover to manage its activities dynamically as it traverses rocky terrain. [1]

Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a thin atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide. The mean diameter of Mars is approximately 6,779 kilometers, which is roughly half the size of Earth. Surface temperatures range from minus 153 to 20 degrees Celsius. [5]

As FTMQ Science reported earlier, Perseverance reached the Martian surface on 18 February 2021 to search for signs of past microbial life inside Jezero Crater. By October 2026, the rover had driven 28.1 miles on Mars, surpassing the previous record of 28.06 miles held by the Opportunity rover. [6]