NASA spacecraft moves for the first time on Mars: 6 meters in 33 minutes
The short flight was a test of mobility, Reuters
The US Space Agency (NASA) said that the agency's "Perseverance" spacecraft made its first flight on the red planet (Mars), moving 6.5 meters in 33 minutes.
The short flight, on Thursday, was a test of navigation, as the probe's systems were being tested.
NASA aims to get Perseverance to make trips of 200 meters or more as soon as it begins its scientific exploration.
The probe moved forward four meters, then turned to the left, then retreated 2.5 meters to stop temporarily.
"The probe's six-propulsion system responded beautifully," said NASA engineer Anis Zarifyan.
"We are now confident that the command system is ready to operate and capable of transporting us to any place the science leads us to within the next two years," he added.
The spacecraft, which weighs about 1,000 kilograms and is the size of a small car, landed on Mars in a precarious landing maneuver on February 18 after a journey of about 480 million kilometers through space.
Perseverance is expected to study the Martian surface for at least two years, examining climate and geology and collecting samples of rocks and soil.
The spacecraft landed in a huge crater called "Jizero", the site of a 3.5 billion-year-old former lake that scientists say could provide evidence for the presence of earlier microbes on Mars.
Mars has had water on its surface for billions of years, a fact which has led to speculation that there may have been some form of life on this planet.
Last Tuesday, the mission tested the robotic arm of the probe, "Perseverance", which will be the main tool used to closely examine the geological characteristics of the hole.
Then the robotic arm will drill and take samples.
And last week, the spacecraft sent its first 360-degree image of the planet's surface, showing a desolate region of geological formations, including a wind-carved rock and the edge of the ancient crater.
Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news