Its days are short: Electricity levels drop at NASA Insight Lander, which detects earthquakes on Mars

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Dusty solar panels and gloomier skies are expected to bring the Mars landing mission to an end around the end of the current year

Illustration of an internal exploration facility using NASA’s seismic, geodesy and heat transfer (InSight) landings. Credit: NASA

NASA’s Mars Insight Lander is gradually losing energy and will likely end scientific activity later this summer. May 4, 2022 – and located areas prone to earthquakes in the Red Star.

The information gathered from these quakes allowed scientists to measure the depth and composition of the crust, mantle and core of Mars. In addition, Insight recorded vital weather data and investigated the remains of Mars’ ancient magnetic field.

The team of NASA’s Mars Insight crew talks about the mission’s science and the innovative ways they have faced engineering challenges. While on Mars, Insight has achieved all of its major scientific goals and continues to detect vibrations.

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

“Insight has changed our understanding of the interior of rocky planets and is preparing the ground for further missions,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s planetary science department. Venus and even planets in other solar systems. “

Insight landed on Mars on November 26, 2018. It is equipped with a pair of solar panels 2.20 meters wide each and was designed to achieve its main scientific goals in the first Martian year (close to two Earth years). After obtaining them, the spacecraft is now on a mission extension, and the solar panels produce less electricity because they continue to accumulate dust.

Insight took this picture of one of its dust-covered solar panels on April 24, 2022, the Martian day, or sol, the 1,211 of the mission.  Credit: NASA / JPL-CaltechInsight took this picture of one of its dust-covered solar panels on April 24, 2022, the Martian day, or sol, the 1,211 of the mission.  Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Insight took this picture of one of its dust-covered solar panels on April 24, 2022, the Martian day, or sol, the 1,211 of the mission. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

Due to the lack of electricity, the crew has stabilized the landing gear’s robotic arm in its rest position for the last time later this month. The arm was originally designed to place the seismograph and lander heat tester, and played an unexpected role in the mission: along with its use to bury the heat tester in the problematic ground of Mars, the crew used the arm to remove dust from the solar panels. This allowed the seismograph to operate more frequently and led to new discoveries.

When Insight landed, the solar panels produced around 5,000 watt-hours every day from Reddy – enough to run an oven for an hour and forty minutes. They now produce about 500 watt-hours – enough to run the oven for just ten minutes.

This illustration shows an image of Insight about to land on Mars. It’s a look at the top of the spacecraft.

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

In addition, seasonal changes are beginning in the area where Insight is located. In the coming months there will be more dust in the air, which will reduce the sunlight and energy of the spacecraft. In the past they have managed to remove some of the dust, but a more powerful dust cleaning event is needed, like a “dust demon” (transient air vortex) to reverse the current trend.

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