Despite its draining power, NASA’s InSight Mars lander is determined to squeeze as much science as it can until the very last moment - by ET_Exists
included studying how rocky planets both formed and evolved as well as to figure out how tectonically active Mars is today. During its venture, InSight successfully detected the first quake on another planet; gathered new information about Mars’ three major layers—crust, mantle, and core; detected traces of an ancient magnetic field “frozen” in the crustal rocks; and studied dust devils and other atmosphere and weather data.
Taken on Dec. 6, 2018 , this was NASA InSight’s first full selfie on Mars. It displays the lander’s solar panels and deck. On top of the deck are its science instruments, weather sensor booms and UHF antenna. All instruments but the seismometer have already been powered down. Like other Mars spacecraft, InSight has a fault protection system that automatically triggers “safe mode” in threatening situations and shuts down all but its most essential functions, allowing engineers to assess the situation. Low power and temperatures that drift outside predetermined limits can both trigger safe mode.
“The goal is to get scientific data all the way to the point where InSight can’t operate at all, rather than conserve energy and operate the lander with no science benefit,” said Chuck Scott, InSight’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
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