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This Could Be One Of The Last Images Ever Taken By NASA’s InSight

The NASA mission has not long left to live.

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Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

author

Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent

Alfredo (he/him) has a PhD in Astrophysics on galaxy evolution and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces.

Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent

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 the seismometer is a semispherical device on the sandy surface of mars
Is this the last view we will see from InSight? Image Credit: NASA/JPL- Caltech

NASA’s InSight has revolutionized our understanding of what goes on inside of Mars. From detecting marsquakes to pinpointing new meteorite collisions on the Red Planet, the mission has gone far beyond expectation. Its planned duration was 709 sols (martian days) and it has now almost doubled that.

However, for the last several months, the lander has not been able to get enough power. Its solar panels are covered in dust, and despite attempts, it doesn’t come off. The power InSight is getting is less and less each day, and soon there won’t be enough to keep the seismometer and the rest of the basic instrumentation working.

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InSight's seismometer also covered in dust like the solar panels.
InSight's seismometer also covered in dust like the solar panels. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-CalTech


The image, taken on October 30, shows the case of the seismometer on the ground. This might be among the last images we ever receive from InSight. The mission is now powering only the most sensitive of the seismometer arrays of sensors. 

“We’re pushing it to the very end,” Liz Barrett, who leads science and instrument operations for the team at JPL, said in a statement.

The team believes the lander to have a few more weeks of power left.


ARTICLE POSTED IN

spaceSpace and PhysicsspaceAstronomy
  • tag
  • Mars,

  • Astronomy,

  • InSight

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