NASA will soon stop listening for radio signals from the dust-covered InSight lander on Mars. A Mars spacecraft commemorated the mission with a new portrait from space.
NASA ’s InSight lander was a very different mission from the space agency’s famous wheeled Mars rovers. It plunked down in the Elysium Planitia region in 2018 and stayed in one spot to study thein late 2022. InSight’s mission may be over, but it’s still contributing to Mars science thanks to images tracking dust movement around the lander over time.
Scientists can look back over years of MRO observations of InSight. When it first landed, it appeared as a bright speck in a dark spot when seen from orbit. In 2024, it looks like it’s been camouflaged. “By monitoring how much dust collects on the surface—and how much gets vacuumed away by wind and dust devils—we learn more about the wind, dust cycle and other processes that shape the planet,”A timelapse video NASA shared on social media follows InSight from 2018 through 2024.
NASA Space Dust Devils Insight Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter MRO
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NASA is investigating the Ingenuity helicopter's final flight on MarsJeremy is a Malaysian freelance writer who loves video games and technology. He reports on tech news at Engadget, and his work has been featured on Cloudwards, MyNextTablet, and Quantum Zeitgeist. In addition to competitive gaming, Jeremy enjoys Chinese martial arts and reading. Ask him about Snake from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
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