Spacecraft belonging to NASAInSight, is retiring after four years of exploring Mars with its dust-covered power-supplying solar panels.
Launch PhysInSight leaves a precious legacy for scientists to understand Mars. How not, this spacecraft has recorded more than 1,300 earthquakes on Mars.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5 was recorded last Wednesday (4/5). It was the largest InSight has ever recorded while on the red planet.
“The quake will truly be a treasure and valuable information as we explore it,” said Bruce Banerdt of NASA’s JEt Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA said it would deactivate the seismometers on InSight. However, NASA will still check InSight energy levels once a day.
Not only that, NASA will also still take some pictures. Then at the end of 2022, InSight will be officially discontinued.
Currently, Martian dust has covered the surface of InSight’s solar panels, which are estimated to be 2.2 meters wide per panel. As a result, Insight is already understaffed. Soon, the battery that supplies its energy will run out.
NASA doesn’t expect Mars dust to quickly affect InSight. Last year, NASA updated the Insight robotic arm which considerably extended its durability.
On the other hand, Bruce said the interior of Mars is still a mystery. However, Insight’s role is quite significant in providing explanations to experts.
“The interior of Mars still leaves big questions. But we have been able to map its interior for the first time in history,” said Bruce.
(lth/lth)
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