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The InSight robot was recently imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
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The rapid buildup of dust on its solar panels had doomed the robot in the past, but now it had a use
On the left, the final image sent by NASA’s InSight robot from the surface of Mars. Right, a much more recent image taken from Mars orbit by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. It’s the same place from different points of view.
Can you see Insight? “The lander was recently spotted by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,” he says. Published From NASA.
“By studying InSight’s landing site over time, scientists can see how quickly dust accumulates there, which helps estimate the age of other surface disturbances.”
The loneliest training on Mars. Unlike the rovers and probes orbiting around the planet, InSight is equipped with a seismometer and a drill to land on a fixed point on Mars and explore its subsurface.
The robot landed on November 26, 2018 on a plain known as Elysium Planitia. During its mission, it discovered more than 1,300 earthquakes that helped determine the size and composition of Mars’ core, mantle, and crust.
However, Insight had trouble using his drill. It was planned to drill up to five meters into the surface of Mars, but the soil was more compact than expected and it was only possible to drill a few centimeters.
The good side of collecting dust. Another problem that made Insight’s mission very difficult was the rapid buildup of dust on its solar panels. Unlike the nuclear-powered rovers Perseverance and Curiosity, InSight relied on its photovoltaic cells.
The robot ended up unable to generate power due to dust, and had to say goodbye at the end of 2022 when its batteries ran out. If you look closely at the image taken from orbit, you can see two circular solar panels spread out next to the robot’s body.
InSight’s “postmortem” development closely follows the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The spacecraft has been orbiting Mars for 18 years, searching for evidence of water and other properties of the red planet.
It was dust that ultimately doomed InSight, but following its evolution from orbit could help scientists better understand Martian dynamics.
Photos | NASA/JPL
In Chataka | Alternating layers of sediments and volcanic rock: The Mars InSight seismograph enables us to analyze what lies beneath the surface of Mars
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