‘My power is really low’: NASA’s Mars Insight rover prepares to launch from the Red Planet | Mars

NASA InSight lander He delivered what could be his final message from Mars, as it is on a history-making mission to unlock the secrets of the Red Planet’s interior.

In November, the space agency warned that the probe’s time may be ending as dust continues to condense and choke InSight’s power.

“The spacecraft’s power generation continues to decline as windblown dust thickens on the solar panels,” NASA wrote in a message. Modernization on November 2. “The end is expected to come in the next few weeks.”

shared message on NASA InSight’s Twitter account Monday wrote: “My power is really low, so this may be the last pic I can send. Don’t worry about me though: My time here has been productive and uneventful. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will — But I’m going to sign here soon. Thanks for staying with me.”

The robotic geologist, armed with a hammer and a seismograph, first arrived on the barren expanse of Elysium Planitia in November 2018.

Since then, she has conducted geological excavations, making the first measurements of earthquakes with a high-tech seismometer placed directly on the surface of Mars.

The solar-powered lander released an update last month, reminding us of its time in space.

“I was fortunate enough to live on two planets. Four years ago, I arrived safely on the second, much to the delight of my family at first. Thank you to my team for sending me on this voyage of discovery. I hope I can be proud of you.”

Since its publication, Insight has measured more than 1,300 seismic events, and more than 50 of them had enough clear signals for the team to extract information about their location on Mars, according to the published mission. Results.

The probe’s data has also yielded details about Mars’ inner layers, liquid core, surprisingly variable remnants beneath the surface of the extinct magnetic field, weather, and earthquake activity.

former to Its launch in 2018NASA’s chief scientist, Jim Green, said the mission was “of fundamental importance to understanding the origin of our solar system and how it came to be what it is today.”

NASA won’t declare the mission finished until Insight has failed two check-ins with the Mars-orbiting spacecraft relaying its information back to Earth.

Back in 2018, the veteran Mars rover declared opportunities the end of its 15-year stint By sending an incomplete picture of Perseverance Valley.

A severe dust storm has darkened the skies around the solar-powered rover, shattering the sun and leaving behind a dark image with white spots from camera noise. Transmission stops before the full image can be transmitted.