The power available to NASA’s InSight Mars lander dwindles day by day, but the space agency has modified mission timelines to maximize the amount of science they can conduct. InSight’s last operational science instrument, its seismometer, was estimated to be shut down by the end of June to conserve energy and what power the dust-laden solar panels could generate by around December. Last month, it sent its back on earth ultimate selfieEarlier he had to turn off most of the equipment.
But now, the team plans to operate the seismometer for a longer period of time, perhaps as late as August or early September. This would mean that InSight’s batteries would quickly discharge and power out at that time, but it would also mean that the lander could detect more marsquakes. “InSight hasn’t finished teaching us about Mars yet. We’re going to get every last bit of science out before the lander’s operations conclude,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division in Washington Told.
InSight is the acronym for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat. The lander has already achieved its science goals but is on an extended mission. It has detected more than 1,3000 earthquakes since landing on the Red Planet in 2018; Providing information that tells scientists more about the depth and composition of Mars’ crust, mantle and core. It also used its other instruments to record important weather data, examine the soil beneath the lander, and study remnants of Mars’ ancient magnetic field.
But all those other devices are already turned off. Like other spacecraft on Mars, InSight has a fault protection system that automatically triggers “Safe Mode” in the event of a threat. In this safe mode, the lander shuts down all but its most essential functions, allowing engineers to return to Earth to assess the situation. Low power (like it does now) and temperatures outside certain limits can trigger Safe Mode.
But to make sure the seismometer lasts as long as possible, the NASA team is turning off InSight’s fault protection system. While this would allow the seismometer to operate for a longer period of time, it also leaves the lander vulnerable to sudden, unforeseen events that ground controllers would not have time to respond to.