InSight : The Fallen Soldier

 After four years into the service, the InSight Mars lander has finally retired. After not being able to communicate for two consecutive attempts, the Jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) has concluded that InSight's solar power energy has run out of energy. The last time InSight communicated with us was on December 15.

The InSight Mars lander was a spacecraft that was launched by NASA in May 2018 to study the interior structure and composition of Mars. It was part of NASA's Discovery program, which funds relatively low-cost missions with highly focused scientific goals. The InSight lander was equipped with a suite of scientific instruments that allowed it to study the Martian surface, subsurface, and atmosphere.

One of the main objectives of the InSight mission was to measure the heat flow from the interior of Mars, which would provide insights into the planet's thermal history and the processes that shaped it. To do this, the lander had a heat flow and physical properties package, or HP3, which included a mole that could dig up to 16 feet (5 meters) into the ground to measure the temperature and conductivity of the soil.

   The final selfie taken by InSight on April 22,2022

As with any other mars mission, the HP3 instrument also had some difficulties in its mission, including a problem with its self-hammering mechanism that caused it to get stuck at a depth of around 16 inches (41 centimeters). However, the team was able to work around this issue and continue collecting data on the Martian subsurface.

In addition to the HP3 instrument, the InSight lander also had a seismometer called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), which was designed to detect and measure Marsquakes. By studying these quakes, scientists hoped to learn more about the structure and composition of Mars' interior, including its crust, mantle, and core. 

The InSight lander also had a weather station called the Auxiliary Payload Sensor Subsystem (APSS), which measured temperature, pressure, wind speed, and other meteorological data. This data helped scientists understand the Martian climate and weather patterns, as well as how they have changed over time. The APSS instrument has recorded a wide range of weather conditions on Mars, including extreme temperature fluctuations and powerful dust storms.

One of the key findings of the InSight mission has been the detection of Marsquakes, which have provided valuable information on the planet's internal structure and tectonic activity. The data collected by the SEIS instrument has allowed scientists to map the Martian interior in greater detail and has provided evidence for the presence of a solid core, a mantle, and a crust on the planet. The data has also helped to confirm the existence of a boundary between the crust and mantle, known as the Mohorovicic discontinuity, which is similar to the boundary between the Earth's crust and mantle.

Another important finding of the InSight mission has been the measurement of the heat flow from the interior of Mars, which has provided insights into the planet's thermal history and the processes that shaped it. The data collected by the HP3 instrument has allowed scientists to estimate the heat flow from the Martian interior and compare it to the heat flow on Earth. The data has also provided evidence for the presence of a magma ocean on Mars early in its history, which may have played a role in the formation of the planet. 

"InSight, You can rest now."

- Sanskar (MS21234)