Nasa's Mars rover Opportunity has broken the distance record for off-Earth travel.

Opportunity's odometer hit 25.01 miles over the weekend, which was enough to surpass the miles covered by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 rover, Nasa said.

Nasa project manager John Callas said Opportunity, which was not designed for distance, has driven further than any other wheeled vehicle on another world.

Nasa said if the rover hits 26.2 miles it will reach the next major investigation site that scientists refer to as Marathon Valley - because it will have travelled the distance of a marathon.

The Russian Lunokhod 2 rover landed on Earth's moon in 1973 and drove 24.2 miles.

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