InSight has missed communication with Earth. This may be a sign that the mission has come to an end, for lack of energy. A photo was sent in December by the lander: it may be its very last snapshot of Mars.
This may be the epilogue of the InSight mission: a very last image sent by the lander before being definitively out of energy. Indeed, since December 18, the American space agency has been unable to establish contact with the spacecraft on Mars. If the loss of the link is confirmed, it would end four years of activity on the red planet.
The most recent photograph shared by InSight shows a partial daytime view of the Martian panorama. We guess that the lens is slightly covered with a fine film of dust. We also notice in the center of the SEIS image, the famous seismometer and, on the left side, the HP3 instrument, dedicated to measuring the heat coming from the heart of Mars.
NASA stays tuned, just in case
For now, NASA has not given up on getting back in touch with InSight. Further attempts to bind will take place soon, although the agency knows full well that the chances are low today of success. ” The lander’s energy has been declining for months “, she writes in a point of situation. This scenario had in fact been anticipated for months.
InSight’s silence is therefore not a surprise. NASA, however, plans to continue to keep its “ears” wide open for some time, ” just in case “, even in the event of a second failure following that of December 18. The last successful contact between NASA and InSight dates back to December 15.
” I have no more current. […] Thanks for staying with me »
InSight
NASA will declare the mission terminated if two successive communication attempts fail between InSight and the network of satellites orbiting Mars – on the condition that the cause of these failures comes from the lander itself. Then, passive listening will take place, thanks to the antennas of the Deep Space Network terrestrial network.
These last months, the InSight mission’s Twitter account prepared the spirits for the day when everything would stop. The last message, dated December 19, turns out to be a little moving, since it personifies the lander – an approach that we see more and more in space missions, to better communicate with the public and capture their Warning.
” I have no power, so this may be the last image I can send. But don’t worry about me: my time here has been both productive and peaceful. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will, but I’ll be disconnecting soon. Thanks for staying with me », is it written. Now, time for eternal silence?
