According to an initial NASA report, NASA’s Mars InSight landing is in deep energy crisis Insider.
With a value of 800 million dollars, the robot initially landed on a Martian plain called Elysium Planitia in 2018 and has detected during its lifetime more than 500 earthquakes on Mars, launched the study of the core of the red planet to new depths and oversaw the passage of more than 10,000 dust devils.
However, this long list of scientific advances may come to a sudden end, as the unmissable coldness of Mars time could put an end to all operations.
As you write, the InSight lander is in hibernation mode while NASA engineers are working to prevent it from losing what’s left of its precious life.
NASA’s InSight could withstand the Martian winter and recharge
The InSight landing area is unique. Called the Elysium Planitia, it lacks the powerful gusts of wind enjoyed by NASA’s Perseverance rover. Wind gusts are also called “cleaning events,” as they blow accumulating Martian dust from the solar panels of NASA robots. Without this natural wind, the dust becomes a thick, sun-protective layer, and that’s what happened to InSight, leaving it virtually unable to absorb sunlight to generate more energy.
In February, InSight solar panels generated approximately 27% of their total energy capacity, which is when winter arrives at Elysium Planitia. Therefore, NASA deliberately ordered InSight to enter “hibernation mode,” which shuts down several instruments each day. But soon the robot will be forced to turn off all unnecessary functions for survival.
However, there is hope. By stopping all scientific operations, the InSight lander should be able to save enough crucial energy to maintain a warm environment so that its systems can last deadly cold nights on Mars, when temperatures drop to -90 ° C.
“The amount of energy available over the next few months will be really driven by the weather,” Chuck Scott, Insight’s project manager, said in an official statement. We’re almost halfway through the planned hibernation period for the robot, but while InSight looks good for now, the risk of a life-threatening power loss hasn’t been reduced in any way. If the robot’s batteries die, it could mean a destination for the fearless terrifier.
“We would be hopeful to be able to bring him back to life, especially if he’s not asleep or dead for a long period of time,” said InSight principal investigator Bruce Banerdt. Insider report. “But that would be a difficult situation.” NASA plans to restart full InSight operations once the red planet approaches the sun in July this year. If extracted from the overwhelming winter climate of Mars, the landing robot could continue to listen for earthquakes and study the weather until 2022.
A random dust storm on Mars could be a disaster for NASA’s InSight
InSight’s lack of power influenced NASA’s decision to abandon the lander’s “mole” this January. It was designed to bury itself on the surface and measure temperatures deep inside the crust of Mars, data needed to capture the deep history of the red planet, in addition to its internal structure. But scientists have to cede access to more data as the lander shuts down its instruments, as weather measurements become rare and earthquake signals are expected to cease in a month or so.
Banderdt dilutes the lander may also be missing some grains, but it is better to save the entire lander than to sacrifice all future measures for one. If or when InSight loses battery power, the scientist explained, “it’s a good zombie probe,” which means it will actively recharge and restart once it has access to sunlight.
“The problem with this scenario is that in the meantime the ship is very, very cold,” Banderdt added. “And that’s happening during the coldest part of the year for the probe. A lot of electronic components are pretty delicate.”
“And unfortunately, it’s very likely that something will be damaged by the cold.”
While the signs point to the misfortune and darkness of NASA’s InSight landing, it could get worse. If a random dust storm appears in the next four or five months, even more dust could build up on InSight solar panels. Lucky for the robot, it’s not a dust storm season. “We think we’re pretty good, but Mars is unpredictable,” Banerdt added. “We never know exactly what will happen.”