Summary:

• **Mars Rover Gets Smarter**: For the first time, NASA's rover on Mars planned its own route without waiting for instructions from Earth. Scientists gave the rover the ability to think for itself and decide the best path to drive, just like how you might figure out the best way to walk through your house without bumping into furniture.

• **Why This Matters**: Because Mars is so far away, it takes a long time for messages to travel between Earth and the rover. By letting the rover make its own decisions about where to go, scientists can explore Mars much faster and more efficiently, helping us learn more about whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.