Interactive map allows walking on Mars with Perseverance rover

If you ever wanted to travel and tour Mars with the Perseverance rover of NASA, this is your opportunity.

The investigators created an interactive map of the Jezero crater of Mars, allowing for a virtual walk on the planet following the path of the rover.

The interactive map shows data such as the topography, surroundings, trajectory, and the actual position of the rover inside the crater.

There are also zoomable panoramic views permitting 360-degree views of Mars.

The map is presented at the Europlanet Science Congress 2022 by Sebastian Walter from the Freie Universität Berlin.

"The map is the perfect tool for planning a future visit to Mars, with an interactive interface where you can choose from different available base datasets," Walter said.

"Some of the slopes are pretty steep, so watch out for those if you want to avoid too much oxygen consumption," he said.

"To get a real feeling of what to expect on your future Mars trip, you can click on one of the waypoint marker symbols to enter either a full-screen 3D view or, if you have a Virtual Reality setup, to enter a fully immersive environment," he added.

"You can even listen to the sounds of the rover if you stand close by, but please don't touch it – otherwise you would contaminate the probes."