NASA said goodbye to the InSight lander on Wednesday.
The US space agency said mission control had been unable to contact the vehicle on two separate occasions, leading to the conclusion that its solar-powered batteries have run out of power.
NASA said that the findings from the deep inside of Mars will live on.
The space agency said it will listen for a signal from the lander, which last communicated with Earth a week ago, but it is unlikely because of the dust on its solar panels.
Rest easy, little lander ❤ @NASAInSight's mission has ended after more than four years of detecting marsquakes, meteoroid impacts, and unique science on Mars. Congratulations - and thank you - to the team that made these pioneering discoveries possible. https://t.co/MCRzWYFSMd pic.twitter.com/GJkVI88CWi
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) December 21, 2022
It's hard to say goodbye because we've thought of InSight as our friend and colleague on Mars for the past four years.
It has earned its retirement.
Four missions are currently on the Red Planet, including InSight.
The arrival of the seismometer on Mars paved the way for great advances.
The interior of the planet can be seen through the waves of seismology.
Scientists were able to confirm that the core of Mars is liquid and that it is likely composed of three layers.
There is a lot of earthquake activity on Mars.
Some of the marsquakes were caused by meteorite impacts.
"Seismology was the focus of a mission beyond Earth for the first time since the Apollo missions, when astronauts brought seismometers to the moon," said Philippe Lognonne of theInstitut de Physique du Globe de Paris.
"We made a change."
NASA was able to extend the mission by using its robotic arm and small scoop to gently remove dust from the solar panels.
A spike nicknamed "the mole" had trouble burrowing below the surface to take the planet's temperature because of the composition of the soil where the robot landed.
NASA said that the probe buried slightly below the surface gave valuable data on the physical and thermal properties of the soil.
Agence France- Presse.
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