(Updated) NASA's InSight Mars lander stops responding; may have reached end of operations as it loses power

NASA's InSight Mars lander has stopped responding to communications from Earth and the mission team is assuming that the spacecraft may have reached its end of operations on the Red Planet because of extremely low power levels.

NASA's 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. During its time on the Red Planet, InSight has achieved all its primary science goals.

The lander's power has been declining for months as its solar panels continue to accumulate dust. When it landed on the planet, the solar panels produced around 5,000 watt-hours each Martian day, or sol and now the dust-covered panels are generating less power - an average of ~285 watt-hours of energy per Martian day (As of December 12).

"NASA's InSight did not respond to communications from Earth. The lander's power has been declining for months, as expected, and it's assumed InSight may have reached its end of operations. It's unknown what prompted the change in its energy; the last time the mission contacted the spacecraft was on Dec. 15, 2022," the mission team said in a statement on Monday, adding that it will continue to try and contact the lander.

My power's really low, so this may be the last image I can send. Don't worry about me though: my time here has been both productive and serene. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will – but I'll be signing off here soon. Thanks for staying with me. pic.twitter.com/wkYKww15kQ

— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) December 19, 2022

During its time on the Red Planet, NASA's InSight detected more than 1,300 marsquakes and located quake-prone regions, allowing scientists to measure the depth and composition of Mars' crust, mantle, and core. According to the agency, the mission has also recorded invaluable weather data and studied remnants of Mars' ancient magnetic field.

Update 1

After the lander missed two consecutive communication attempts, mission controllers concluded the spacecraft's solar-powered batteries have run out of energy