Few things in life captivate us more than looking at images from other planets, no matter how boring these images may seem. This is especially true for Mars, because that’s where we sent the most robots to explore its cold and dry surface. The first image from the surface of Mars in July 1976 was nothing more than the backing of a Viking 1 lander and some rocks, but no one cared about these mundane details because we were looking at an image from Mars. We looked at the surface of another world for the first time in human history, and not only were we captivated by it, but we wanted more.
The first picture ever taken on the surface of the planet Mars. It was received by Viking 1 just minutes after the spacecraft landed successfully on Mars in July 1976. (Credit: NASA / JPL)
Although the images sent back by the Viking 1 and 2 launchers were breathtaking, both were unable to take pictures of themselves due to their design. They couldn’t take selfies, and everyone loves selfies. Regardless of the situation or circumstance, it is important to document that you have been there. Fortunately, as the number of robots landing on the Red Planet increased, so did engineering. This included much better images, including selfies.
The first space selfie on another planet was taken by the rover Curiosity on September 7, 2012, based on local time at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Curiosity rover used the Mars Handheld Camera (MAHLI) located on his shoulder to obtain the self-portrait. The image shows the top of the Curiosity remote monitoring mast, including the ChemCam, two mast cameras and four navigation cameras. This first space selfie was not just a technological marvel, but it demonstrated that the robot itself is real.
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NASA’s Curiosity rover selfie taken on September 17, 2012 (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Malin Space Science Systems)
Scroll forward for almost 10 years and the latest selfie taken on Mars was from NASA’s InSight lander, which took this image on April 24, 2022, the 1211th day of Martin, or salt, from the mission. Unfortunately, this was the last selfie of this amazing lander, as its solar panels have become so dusty that it produces less energy, which means that his days studying the Red Planet are numbered. Therefore, the team had to put the robotic arm of the lander at rest (called the “retirement position”) for the last time in May 2022.
NASA’s InSight Mars lander took this last selfie on April 24, 2022, the 1211th Martian day or mission salt. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
Dust storms predominate on the Red Planet, and NASA is doing everything possible to monitor their activities. In January 2022, a dust storm nearly twice the size of the United States engulfed the southern hemisphere of Mars. This prompted InSight to go into “safe mode” for 11 days to save battery power, and NASA had to postpone flights for its Ingenuity Mars helicopter.
InSight, which is an acronym for internal research using seismic surveys, geodesy and heat transport, successfully landed on November 26, 2018 in the smooth plains of the Elysium Planet of Mars. Because the goal of InSight was to study the interior of Mars and take the vital signs of the planet, its pulse and temperature. To achieve this, the lander had to be in a place where it could stand still and quiet for its entire mission, which is why Elysium Planitia was chosen. During his stay on Mars, InSight achieved several achievements. This includes the use of its Seismic Structure for Internal Structure (SEIS) instrument to record the sounds of the Red Planet in December 2018, along with the recording of its first earthquake in April 2019.
InSight is not the first solar-powered robotic explorer to face dust problems with its solar panels, as NASA’s Spirit and Opportunity (Oppy) rovers also eventually succumbed to a lack of solar power. The difference is that the Martian wind helped keep the solar panels clean of both Spirit and Oppy, allowing each rover to last well beyond its original time.
A self-portrait of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, taken in late March 2014 (right), shows that much of the dust on the rover’s solar panels has been removed after a similar January 2014 portrait (left). (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Cornell University / Arizona State University)
While the InSight mission is coming to an end, this is another reminder that, like humans, robots are also mortal. These brave pioneers, with their hundreds of thousands of lines of code and countless circuit boards, were sent to places where people could not go, and most were left to disappear. Fortunately, we will never forget InSight or the dozens of his cousins we sent into the unknown to never return. Maybe InSight will get its own showroom after humans finally populate the Red Planet, along with Spirit, Oppy and other past robotic explorers. Only time will tell and that’s why we science!
As always, keep doing science and keep looking up!
Sources: NASA (1), NASA JPL (1), NASA (2), NASA (3), NASA (4), the Universe Today, Sky and Telescope, NASA (5), NASA JPL (2)
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