Perseverance rover gains onboard 'GPS' capability on Mars.

NASA added a Mars Global Localization system to the Perseverance rover so it can match panoramic images to orbital maps and determine its location to within about 10 inches (25 cm), allowing it to continue along planned routes without waiting for confirmation from Earth.

NASA has upgraded the Perseverance rover with a new onboard system that lets it determine its exact location on Mars without waiting for guidance from Earth. Missions on Mars previously relied on onboard sensors, camera-based feature tracking, orbital imagery and direction from mission teams millions of miles away. Small errors from visual tracking and wheel slippage could build over time and leave the rover unsure of its position, sometimes by more than 100 feet (35 meters), causing it to stop and await clarification. The new capability, developed beginning in 2023, has been tested and used in routine operations in early February and again earlier this week. Key details: - The upgrade is called Mars Global Localization and matches the rover's panoramic imagery to orbital terrain maps onboard. - An onboard algorithm performs the comparison in about two minutes and can pinpoint the rover's location to roughly 10 inches (25 centimeters), per NASA. - The team tested the software against imagery from 264 previous rover stops and reported that it correctly identified location in each case. - The system was used successfully during routine operations in early February and again earlier this week. - This development follows a separate recent milestone in which the rover completed a drive that had been fully planned by generative artificial intelligence. Summary: The upgrade reduces the need for Earth-based position confirmation and allows Perseverance to travel farther and explore more terrain without pausing for direction from mission teams. Team members say the approach could be used for other rovers on future missions.