The InSight Mars lander is dying as dust clouds on the Red Planet continue to pick up, and NASA doesn't appear to have any plans to save it.
Throughout the past few years, though, the dusty nature of the Martian surface has taken a toll on the lander. NASA officials say they had hoped that a gust of wind, or even a dust devil, would help clear some of the dust off the solar panels.
Unfortunately, though, the craft hasn’t been that lucky. As more dust continues to cake on, the InSight Mars lander is dying, its power supply slowly petering out.that the team isn’t focused on the doom and gloom of the situation. Instead, they are still focused on operating the spacecraft and capturing seismic readings as long as possible.Currently, NASA expects the InSight Mars lander to die sometime in July. The InSight team managed to clear some dust from one of the solar panels recently.
The space agency expects the batteries to finally run out of juice in July, though. By that time, the dust on the solar panels will be so caked on that it won’t be able to recharge itself. This isn’t the first time that NASA has lost a spacecraft to dust on Mars. In 2018, the Opportunity rover was lost to a massive global dust storm that hit the planet. InSight’s death isn’t quite as dramatic, as the dust has been accumulating over time.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
End of the line nears for NASA InSight Mars landerAfter some four years probing Mars' interior, NASA's InSight lander will likely retire this summer as accumulated dust on its solar panels saps its power.
Les mer »
NASA will soon bid farewell to its Mars InSight lander | EngadgetThe lander is expected to end its science activities by the end of summer and to be completely unresponsive by December..
Les mer »
Dust-covered solar panels mean NASA Mars lander's mission is coming to an endThe NASA InSight lander, which has been revealing the mysterious interior of Mars since 2018, is coming to an end due to a decreasing power supply.
Les mer »
NASA Perseverance is finally ready to look for alien life on MarsNASA's Perseverance is finally set to explore an area believed to harbor signs of life on Mars, an ancient river delta in the Jezero Crater.
Les mer »
InSight Mars lander nears the end of the roadGoing out with a bang, NASA's InSight Mars lander, slowly dying as light-blocking dust builds up on its solar arrays, detected the most powerful marsquake yet recorded May 4, a magnitude 5 temblor 10 times stronger than the previous record holder.
Les mer »