NASA’s InSight Mars lander sent back a sad message from the Red Planet as it prepared to end its four-year mission.
Even though we know it’s just a complicated piece of equipment that NASA sent into space to get a better look at Mars, one of our closest neighbors, it’s still sad to think that it’s going to die all alone in space.
See, the robot has been sending back all kinds of messages and pictures from Mars recently, but now the wind is blowing dust onto the solar panels that it uses to power itself. This is making it less and less possible to work.
That means that InSight won’t be able to get stronger, so this latest message might be the last one we get.
Insight said in an update from November 2:
he spacecraft’s power generation continues to decline as windblown dust on its solar panels thickens,
The end is expected to come in the next few weeks.
Then, on Monday, a sad message from the space-traveling robot came through the ether:
My power’s really low, so this may be the last image I can send.
Don’t worry about me though: my time here has been both productive and serene.
If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will – but I’ll be signing off here soon.
Thanks for staying with me.
InSight landed on Mars for the first time in November 2018. Since then, it has been doing a number of experiments to learn more about the planet’s geology and has been using a seismometer to measure the planet’s quakes.
Last month, the lander was in a reflective mood and thought about its own life and life between planets.
It said,
I’ve been lucky enough to live on two planets. Four years ago, I arrived safely at the second one, to the delight of my family back on the first.
Thanks to my team for sending me on this journey of discovery. Hope I’ve done you proud.
Since it was sent to Mars, the lander has sent important data back to Earth, including information about the liquid core of Mars.
Before it was sent into space, NASA’s top scientist, Jim Green, said that the mission of InSight was “fundamental” to understanding how our solar system came to be the way it is now.
So, all that needs to happen is for the robot lander to miss two check-ins. After that, NASA will say that the mission is over, and we’ll know that the end has come.
Farewell and godspeed, InSight.
