Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 2 February 2026
NASA validates first Mars rover drives planned entirely by generative AI
Exam-focused facts from the 2 February 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- NASA confirmed that the Perseverance rover completed drives on 8 and 10 December 2025 planned entirely by generative AI.
- The AI analysed high-resolution orbital imagery to autonomously map a 246-metre path through Jezero Crater.
- Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) validated the AI’s logic using a digital twin before transmitting commands across 225 million kilometres of space.
- The success provides a blueprint for NASA’s Artemis programme to use AI for split-second decisions on the Moon and Mars when Earth is out of reach.