NASA’s InSight Mars lander took what will likely be his last or last selfie on April 24, 2022, the 1211th Martian day (sol) of the mission. The spacecraft is expected to complete scientific operations later this summer as its power levels decline due to dusty solar panels.
InSight, abbreviated from Interior Exploration with the help of seismic surveys, surveying and heat transport, landed on Mars in November 2018 to study the interior of Mars and take the vital signs of the planet, its pulse and temperature.
Now on an expanded mission until December 2022, InSight solar panels produce less energy as they continue to accumulate dust. Over the next few months, there will be more dust in the air, which will reduce sunlight and ultimately the energy of the launcher, so it is unlikely that the mission will continue to operate during its current expanded mission.
InSight took its first selfie on Mars in December 2018 and second in April 2019, when it was covered in much less dust than today.
According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the agency’s Scientific Missions mission, the robotic arm of the lander must be moved several times to take a full selfie. As its dusty solar panels produce less energy, the mission team will soon put its hand at rest (called the “retirement position”) for the last time in May 2022.
Dusty self-portrait. @ NASAInSight did what will probably be his last selfie on April 24. In the GIF you can see the first selfie of the spacecraft in December 2018 and its last, where it is covered with Martian dust. pic.twitter.com/CcN2Qzg90d
– NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) May 24, 2022
So far, NASA’s InSight mission has recorded invaluable weather data, discovered more than 1,300 earthquakes and studied the remnants of Mars’ ancient magnetic field.
Add Comment