Mars lander InSight declared dead after four years on Mars New Scientist

During its time on Mars, NASA’s InSight lander measured 1,319 marquakes. Now he is covered in dust and his mission has come to an end

NASA’s InSight mission to Mars has officially ended. The lander has been collecting data on seismic activity under the Earth’s surface for four years red planetbut now he has no power and can no longer contact the earth.

Intuition landed on Mars in 2018. She had two main goals: Using seismic measurements to build a model of Mars’ interior and to map heat currents in the planet. Unfortunately, the thermal probe succeeded, dubbed the mole, unable to dig into the Martian soil. After all, the engineers spent two years devising ways to put it in the ground, but in vain. The seismometer was a resounding success.

Marsbevingen

In early 2019, the InSight lander measured its first Martian earthquakes, small ground movements caused by meteor impacts. He continued to average just under one per day. In all, the lander recorded 1,319 aftershocks, ranging from small jolts from meteor impacts to powerful rumbles caused by rocks rubbing underground.

Measuring Martian earthquakes has not only revealed that there is seismic activity on Mars. The way the vibrations traveled underground also made it possible about the size of the core of Mars and measure the thickness of the other layers above it. This largely fulfilled the lander’s original mission. Data analysis showed where the underground water wasand has even provided startling evidence of geological activity.

Fatal calm

But as its solar panels collected dust, InSight’s electrical power diminished. Normally, spaceships on Mars are periodically dusted by gusts of wind, but the Martian climate was unexpectedly calm in the area where InSight landed. Sprinkling sand on the solar panels with the lander’s robotic arm on relatively windy days could blow some of the dust away. But not enough to extend the life of the lander.

Now, after two failed attempts to contact NASA, the lander has been pronounced dead. The last time InSight sent a message to Earth was December 15th. NASA engineers will continue to listen for a signal, but expect to hear nothing.

“Yes, it’s sad to say goodbye, but the InSight legacy will live on, inform and inspire,” said Laurie Leshin, mission manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. in a statement. We have mountains of Earth data that the lander sent back, which researchers can use for years to come.