Washington, March 6 -- : US Space agency NASA's Perseverance rover took its first drive on Mars and covered 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) across the Martian landscape.
The drive performed on March 4, served as a mobility test that marks just one of many milestones as team members check out and calibrate every system, subsystem, and instrument on Perseverance, an officials statement said on Friday.
However, the location where Perseverance began its mission on Mars now bears the name "Octavia E. Butler Landing," after the mane of a science fiction author --Octavia E. Butler.
According to the statement: "Once the rover begins pursuing its science goals, regular commutes extending 656 feet (200 meters) or more are expected.
"When it comes to wheel...