After four years on Martian soil, NASA’s InSight mission on Mars has come to an end. During this time, the lander has detected over 1,300 marsquakes and meteorite impacts. Mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) were unable to establish contact with the spacecraft on two consecutive occasions, leading them to conclude that the solar batteries have run out of power. Despite NASA remaining vigilant for any signals from the lander, they consider it “unlikely for any signals to occur” after its last communication on December 15.
The InSight lander landed on Mars in 2018 and was designed to conduct scientific activities for two years, a lifespan that it has vastly exceeded. It continued to make discoveries as dust gradually reduced its solar panel power levels, with data that scientists will use for years to come, NASA reported. The agency’s associate administrator for science missions, Thomas Zurbuchen, stated that, although “saying goodbye to a spacecraft is always sad, the fascinating science that InSight has conducted is cause for celebration.” Zurbuchen specifically referred to the seismic data collected by this mission, which “offer a wealth of knowledge not only about Mars but also about other rocky bodies, including Earth.”
InSight was dedicated to studying the interior of Mars, and its data has provided details about its internal layers, climate, and significant seismic activity. Its highly sensitive seismometer, along with daily ground monitoring, detected 1,319 marsquakes, including those caused by meteorite impacts, the largest of which unearthed rock-sized ice chunks late last year. These impacts help scientists determine the planet’s surface age, and the seismometer data provides a way to study the planet’s crust, mantle, and core. In fact, the seismometer was the last scientific instrument that remained operational as the accumulated dust on the lander’s solar panels gradually reduced its power.
All missions to Mars face challenges, and InSight was no different, as recalled by NASA regarding its mole digger, intended to drill up to about five meters deep and measure heat inside. Designed for loose, sandy soil of other missions, it could not penetrate the unexpected clumpy soil surrounding InSight, reaching only 40 centimeters, although it gathered “valuable data on the physical and thermal properties of the soil,” useful for future missions.
In concluding the mission, principal investigator Bruce Banerdt from JPL emphasized: “We have thought of InSight as our friend and colleague on Mars for the past four years, so it’s hard to say goodbye,” but “it has earned its well-deserved retirement.” The InSight mission had various European partners, including the Spanish Center for Astrobiology (CAB), which provided wind and temperature sensors.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
