After a dust storm reduced sunlight to the solar-powered machine on Jan. 7, InSight switched into safe mode, which is designed to protect the lander. InSight has remained stable so far. “The mission’s crew regained contact with InSight Jan. 10, finding that its power remained stable and, while low, was unlikely to drain the lander’s batteries,” NASA JPL stated in a statement on Tuesday.
NASA had dealt with Martian dust storms before, most notably when the Opportunity rover’s voyage was cut short in 2018 due to a global dust storm. InSight has already been hampered by dust on its solar panels. The lander crew devised an intelligent method of removing some of the dust, allowing InSight to continue its science mission.
If the current dust storm deposits more particles on the panels, it could impact InSight’s power source long-term. On the other hand, if NASA is lucky, the storm may assist the lander’s situation. “As with the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rover missions, the whirlwinds and gusts of dust storms have helped to clear solar panels over time,” NASA added. “While the weather sensors on InSight have identified numerous passing whirlwinds, none have cleaned any dust.”
NASA extended the InSight mission until the end of 2022 last year. The lander is currently awaiting the conclusion of the dust storm by stopping science operations and focusing solely on its vital functions. According to NASA JPL, the storm appears to be fading, and the crew intends to bring the lander out of safe mode next week.
Marsquakes and what’s going on beneath the planet’s surface have been revealed thanks to InSight. NASA is hopeful that it will weather the storm and resume its science missions.
Every robotic explorer that lands on Mars will face the planet’s notoriously dusty environment. Due to a massive regional dust storm, NASA’s InSight lander, which arrived on Mars in 2018, is hunkering down.
After a dust storm reduced sunlight to the solar-powered machine on Jan. 7, InSight switched into safe mode, which is designed to protect the lander. InSight has remained stable so far. “The mission’s crew regained contact with InSight Jan. 10, finding that its power remained stable and, while low, was unlikely to drain the lander’s batteries,” NASA JPL stated in a statement on Tuesday.
NASA had dealt with Martian dust storms before, most notably when the Opportunity rover’s voyage was cut short in 2018 due to a global dust storm. InSight has already been hampered by dust on its solar panels. The lander crew devised an intelligent method of removing some of the dust, allowing InSight to continue its science mission.
If the current dust storm deposits more particles on the panels, it could impact InSight’s power source long-term. On the other hand, if NASA is lucky, the storm may assist the lander’s situation. “As with the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rover missions, the whirlwinds and gusts of dust storms have helped to clear solar panels over time,” NASA added. “While the weather sensors on InSight have identified numerous passing whirlwinds, none have cleaned any dust.”
NASA extended the InSight mission until the end of 2022 last year. The lander is currently awaiting the conclusion of the dust storm by stopping science operations and focusing solely on its vital functions. According to NASA JPL, the storm appears to be fading, and the crew intends to bring the lander out of safe mode next week.
Marsquakes and what’s going on beneath the planet’s surface have been revealed thanks to InSight. NASA is hopeful that it will weather the storm and resume its science missions.