NASA's InSight Mars lander gradually losing power; anticipated to retire this year

NASA's InSight Mars lander is anticipated to end science operations later this summer as its power levels are diminishing due to dusty solar panels and darker skies.

InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, touched down in the Elysium Planitia region of Mars in November of 2018. The robotic explorer's primary goal was to study the interior of Mars and take the planet's vital signs, its pulse, and temperature.

The spacecraft completed its prime mission at the end of 2020 and now it is on an extended mission through December 2022. However, its solar panels have been producing less power as they continue to accumulate dust.

Initially, the solar panels produced around 5,000 watt-hours each Martian day (sol), but now, they're producing roughly 500 watt-hours per sol. According to NASA, over the next few months, there will be more dust in the air, which will reduce sunlight – and the lander's energy.

To reverse this trend, the InSight mission would need a more powerful dust-cleaning event, such as a “dust devil” (a passing whirlwind).

"If just 25% of InSight's panels were swept clean by the wind, the lander would gain about 1,000 watt-hours per sol – enough to continue collecting science. However, at the current rate power is declining, InSight's non-seismic instruments will rarely be turned on after the end of May," said NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate.

As my power levels diminish due to dust on my solar panels, my team has set my retirement plans in motion. Plans call for a gradual shutdown of instruments, including resting my arm in a “retirement pose.” Read more: https://t.co/eATDXbOlx2 pic.twitter.com/OsbsufAvmi

— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) May 17, 2022

The InSight mission team will soon put the lander's robotic arm in its resting position - called the “retirement pose” - for the last time later this month.

More information is available here.