Mars Global Localization pinpoints Perseverance's location on Mars.

NASA's Mars Global Localization allowed Perseverance to determine its position to within about 25 centimeters on Feb. 2, 2026, by matching a 360-degree navcam orthomosaic to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter imagery.

NASA's Mars Global Localization was used successfully to locate the Perseverance rover on Feb. 2, 2026, the 1,762nd sol of the mission. The rover captured a full 360-degree panorama with its navigation cameras and those images were converted into an overhead orthomosaic. That orthomosaic was matched to imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to align ground and orbital views. The matching process runs on a processor aboard Perseverance and returns a location estimate in about two minutes. Key details: - The images were taken at a relatively featureless site called "Mala Mala" on the rim of Jezero Crater, and the orthomosaic shows a blank patch where the rover's rear blocked the cameras' view. - Mars Global Localization uses an algorithm that rapidly compares panoramic navcam shots to MRO orbital imagery. - The system can pinpoint the rover's position to within roughly 10 inches (25 centimeters). - Perseverance normally uses visual odometry and can accumulate position error over long drives of up to about 100 feet (35 meters), which can cause it to stop early and wait for instructions from Earth. - With Mars Global Localization, the rover can compare images onboard and continue along its pre-planned route without waiting for the ground team to match panoramas. Summary: The new capability shortens the time between a drive and a confirmed position by enabling onboard matching of navcam panoramas to orbital maps, providing a rapid and precise location fix. This reduces reliance on a day-long ground-based matching process and supports the rover continuing its planned movements after a drive.