NASA’s InSight Mars lander enters safe mode after dust storm; may return to normal next week

The dust storm reduced the sunlight reaching the lander's solar panels, forcing it to enter safe mode on January 7, 2022, to conserve energy. In safe mode, a spacecraft suspends all but its essential functions.

NASA's InSight lander, the first outer space robotic explorer to study in-depth the "inner space" of Mars, has entered safe mode following a large, regional dust storm on the Martian surface. However, the lander is stable and sending health data to Earth and is expected to return to normal operations next week.

The dust storm reduced the sunlight reaching the lander's solar panels, forcing it to enter safe mode on January 7, 2022, to conserve energy. In safe mode, a spacecraft suspends all but its essential functions.

The dust storm was first detected by the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The mission team re-established connection with the lander on January 10 and found that its power was holding steady and, while low, was unlikely to be draining the lander's batteries.

The team is yet to determine whether the storm will leave an additional layer of dust on the solar panels remains.

"InSight's engineers are hopeful they will be able to command the lander to exit safe mode next week. This will allow more flexibility in operating the lander, as communication, which requires a relatively large amount of energy, is limited in safe mode to conserve battery charge," NASA-JPL said in a statement on Tuesday.

The @NASAInSight lander has entered safe mode to conserve energy as a regional dust storm limits sunlight from reaching its solar panels. The mission team said its power is holding steady and are hopeful it can exit safe mode next week. https://t.co/bD3ubSTtnO pic.twitter.com/jTa2NcmzZ5

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) January 11, 2022

NASA's InSight lander landed on the Martian surface on November 26, 2018, to study its deep interior. The lander completed 1,000 sols (days) on the Red Planet on September 18, 2021

InSight is currently on an extended mission till December 2022.