NASA's InSight Mars mission has officially ended after four years

NASA's landmark InSight lander mission is over after four years of research.

The space agency officially announced the end of the InSight mission on Thursday after the solar batteries lost power. Four years have passed since the defiant landers touched down on the planet's surface.

NASA's InSight mission has ended after four years of collecting unique science on Mars. According to the space agency, staff at California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory were unable to contact the landers after two attempts, leading them to conclude the solar-powered batteries have run out of energy. The state is known as the dead bus.

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The power of NASA's InSight lander has been reduced due to the dust covering its solar panels. The lander's mission was announced by NASA in May of 2022.

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According to the space agency, the last time the InSight lander reported back to Earth was December 15th.

NASA doesn't think it's possible to see signs of communication in InSight.

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Since launching from Earth on an Atlas V rocket in May of last year, I have plummeted through the perilous Martian atmosphere and touched down at 2:52pm. The first outer space robotic explorer to study the interior of Mars has been using seismology and heat transport to map the planet's geology.

From the plains of Mars' Elysium Planitia, the lander sent daily weather reports and discovered the planet's molten core, measured tectonic activity and seismology. The ice of Mars.

The next day's picture was much clearer than the first one, which was dusty on landing.

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It was not all smooth sailing. The "mole" digger used to drill into the Martian surface had some issues. The digger was declared dead in January of 2021.

It's been a busy four years for InSight and its research team.

It has lived up to it's name. Laurie Leshin, director of the JPL, said in a press statement that it has been a thrill to see what the lander has accomplished, thanks to an entire team of people across the globe who helped make this mission a success. It's sad to say goodbye but InSight's legacy will continue.

It's hard to say goodbye because we've thought of InSight as our friend and colleague for the past four years. It has earned its retirement.

The end of the mission was sad and celebratory according to Thomas Zurbuchen. While saying goodbye to a spacecraft is always sad, the fascinating science conducted in InSight is cause for celebration. The data from the Discovery Program mission offers a lot of insight into other rocky bodies.

It is up to you now.