Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/clone
InSight probe took a file last selfie in Mars On April 24th. In the photo it is possible to see the equipment covered with dust, which makes it impossible to operate, since the solar panels are almost completely covered. paying off:
InSight has done a great job since it shipped four years ago, clocking in at nearly 1,300 earthquakes And investigate questions about the interior of the red planet. But the spacecraft’s days are now numbered, and NASA should disable it by the end of December.
The space agency already announced the interest in turning off the device earlier this month. At the time, NASA viewed the dusty solar panels from another angle, confirming that the unit was operating at less than a tenth of its available energy from 5,000 watt-hours for each Mars day.
Selfies of the unit were also taken in 2018, the year of its launch, and in 2019. In it, it is possible to see a large amount of dust on the solar panels. However, the current image shows that the spacecraft is completely covered – the result of a large dust storm that occurred in January of this year. See comparison:
Unlike Spirit and Opportunity rovers, Insight was not equipped with motors or brushes to do its cleaning work. The researchers tried to use InSight’s own robotic arms to repair the device, but that wasn’t enough. It’s time for the probe to rest forever on the surface of Mars.
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