Thursday, December 22, 2022 – 9:16 am
WASHINGTON, December 22, WAM / The US space agency “NASA” announced the end of the “Insight” spacecraft mission, following more than four years spent on the surface of Mars, due to its depletion of energy.
And “NASA” explained – in a statement – that the mission controllers were unable to contact the lander, following receiving the last signal from the vehicle on December 15, which led them to conclude that the batteries of the solar-powered spacecraft had run out.
It added that it would continue attempts to receive any signal from the spacecraft, although further communication is considered unlikely.
NASA had previously announced that the Insight team expected the lander to be “inoperable” by December because its solar panels produce increasingly less power as it continues to accumulate dust.
InSight arrived at Mars in November 2018 to study seismic waves, which help scientists better understand how planets form.
– Space –
Dina Omar
