NASA's Mars insight lander mission is counting down as dust continues to cover its solar panels This week, the team behind insight took this opportunity to take the last insight self photo The resulting images are in sharp contrast to the first or even second self photos taken by the lander throughout the mission.
The red planet is steadily moving towards a dusty winter, and NASA's insight lander is preparing to say goodbye. The lander has been measuring seismic activity on Mars since 2018 and is slowly running out of power.
This is a sad time for Mars exploration, especially considering that insight has measured some of the strongest Mars earthquakes to date in recent months. Still, saying goodbye to the Mars Lander is only part of exploring other planets. Relying on solar power, there is always the problem of dust accumulation on solar panels.
However, it is unclear whether NASA expects it to accumulate as quickly as it does now. NASA plans to put its robotic arm in a resting "retirement" position before the lander is completely powered off. But the team also decided to take the last insight self photo and say goodbye to this iconic explorer. Now, the space agency has shared this picture with the public.
We already know that the end of insight is sooner or later. Nevertheless, NASA has no real plan to save insight. Instead, the agency hopes that a whirlwind or really strong gust of wind will drive some dust away from the solar panels. Now such a thing seems unlikely. It's only a matter of time before the battery runs out completely.
Comparing the last self photo of insight with other pictures of the lander shows a sharp contrast. Even when it landed in 2018, the lander had begun to accumulate dust. This is because Mars is a natural dusty place. Moreover, more dust accumulates on these panels every solar day.
However, if nothing unexpected happens, this last insight self photo can provide a good reminder for future projects. Current Mars explorers, such as the perseverance probe, rely on nuclear power rather than solar energy. Although solar energy is more self-sufficient, the dusty nature of the red planet limits its true effectiveness. Therefore, relying on nuclear power in the future may be the key to manufacturing another lander that can be sustained like insight.