NASA’s InSight lander dedicated four years to exploring the Martian surface and revealing the planet’s internal mysteries. However, it ultimately fell victim to one of Mars’ most notorious hazards: dust. The planet experiences dust storms that can escalate into massive global events, swirling dust into the atmosphere and depositing it on everything below, including solar panels. After years of persistent accumulation, the dust eventually coated InSight’s panels to the point where they could no longer produce adequate power, leading to the mission’s conclusion in December 2022.
Yet, this was not the end for InSight. It continues to contribute to scientific understanding, albeit in a different way. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) recently captured images of InSight from space, revealing the dense dust that has further enveloped the lander since its operational phase ended.
The photograph, captured using MRO’s HiRISE camera, aims to provide a final farewell to InSight while documenting the environmental changes around it over the past two years.
“Even though we’re no longer getting data from InSight, it continues to enhance our knowledge of Mars,” noted Ingrid Daubar, a team member from Brown University. “By tracking the dust accumulation and what gets displaced by wind and dust devils, we gain insights into the wind patterns, the dust cycle, and other processes influencing the planet’s landscape.”
Dust devils — akin to small tornadoes — frequently occur on Mars due to its sparse atmosphere, shaping the surface in striking ways. Data from InSight indicated that these phenomena are seasonal, becoming more prevalent in the summer and diminishing during winter months. The tracks of these dust devils can be seen near InSight’s landing site, providing a match with data regarding wind speed and direction collected by the lander.
Another aspect to consider is how dust impacts craters on the Martian surface created by meteoroid impacts. Over time, these craters become filled with dust, and studying the rate at which they erode allows scientists to better understand how to date specific craters.
“It feels a bit bittersweet to see InSight now,” said Daubar. “It was an incredibly successful mission that yielded valuable scientific insights. Naturally, it would have been great if it could have continued indefinitely, but we knew that wouldn’t be realistic.”
