Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Reveals Fate of InSight Lander on Mars
We would never have known about dead robots on Mars without the large, powerful camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This Martian observer continuously scans the terrain for past evidence of water and tracks how the red planet is changing.
Recently, the Orbiter’s camera captured the space agency’s defunct InSight Lander and surrounding landing site. The images show the site slowly being blanketed in the ever-present Martian dust.
By studying InSight’s landing site over time, scientists can see how quickly this dust accumulates. This information can help estimate the age of other surface disturbances on Mars.
The InSight Lander’s mission ended in December 2022 after four productive years of investigating geologic activity on Mars. As expected, the harsh Martian dust had whittled down the power of the lander by blanketing its solar panels in a thick layer of sediment. Eventually, its batteries died.
