InSight is not giving up despite its own death date.
The landmark Mars robot was expected to power down sometime in the late summer as dust accumulated and prevented it from fully charging up. NASA said that its mission was a huge success. Over the past few years, InSight has reported daily weather reports, recorded more than 1,300 temblors, and helped researchers map the planet's inner geology. It isn't finished yet.
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The robot's next challenge is a large dust storm. The storm first appeared in late September and made little impact on the robot. The dust in Mars' atmosphere has increased by 40 percent since the beginning of the month, making it harder for the solar panels to get enough sunlight. According to NASA, InSight's energy has fallen from over 500 watt-hours per day to just over 300 watt-hours per day.
The seismometer will be turned off for two weeks in order to conserve energy. The robot won't be able to continue recording marsquakes during this time period, but its operators hope the move will extend its energy sources.
Don't be alarmed if InSight blows away in the wind of the dust storm. According to NASA, the storms on Mars only have a fraction of the strength of the storms on Earth. The little robot will have to deal with some dirty air as it tries to get some sunlight.
Little guy, keep going! All of us are rooting for you.
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