NASA’s Perseverance Rover was launched on July $30,$ $2020.$ After traveling $292{,}526{,}838$ miles, it landed on Mars in Jezero Crater about $6.5$ months later. Which of the following is closest to the Rover’s average interplanetary speed in miles per hour?
$\textbf{(A)}\ 6{,}000 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 12{,}000 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 60{,}000 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 120{,}000 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 600{,}000$
Note that $6.5$ months is approximately $6.5\cdot30\cdot24$ hours. Therefore, the speed (in miles per hour) is \[\frac{292{,}526{,}838}{6.5\cdot30\cdot24} \approx \frac{300{,}000{,}000}{6.5\cdot30\cdot24} = \frac{10{,}000{,}000}{6.5\cdot24} \approx \frac{10{,}000{,}000}{6.4\cdot25} = \frac{10{,}000{,}000}{160} = 62500 \approx \boxed{\textbf{(C)}\ 60{,}000}.\]
As the answer choices are far apart from each other, we can ensure that the approximation is correct.
~apex304, SohumUttamchandani, MRENTHUSIASM