This story is part of Welcome to Mars, our series that explores the red planet.
Mars selfies are a whole picture category. They give mission teams on Earth a good look at the hardware, but they’re also a way to help space fans feel connected to those distant explorers of the red planet. NASA’s InSight landing has sent what will probably be its last self-portrait, one last look at a brave machine during its final days.
On Monday, the NASA JPL tweeted a dancing GIF between InSight’s first selfie in December 2018 and the most recent. Highlight the amount of dust that now covers the landing. JPL described it as “what is likely to be his last selfie”.
The image comes from April 24 and is a mosaic of photographs taken by a camera mounted on the robotic arm of the scare. The arm is expected to be placed in a “retirement position” this month.
Due to a thick layer of dust on its solar panels, InSight has to ration energy and the team is prioritizing its seismometer to hear earthquakes. As the dust issue worsens, InSight is expected to complete its mission later this year. JPL even referred to the photo in the statement as “InSight’s final selfie.”
It’s hard to say goodbye to a mission you’ve spent years following, but InSight has kept its promise to illuminate the interior of Mars. Not everything worked out as planned, but its data on earthquakes and the composition of the bowels of the red planet have been illuminating for researchers studying rocky planets such as Mars and Earth.
A dusty selfie is a fitting reminder of InSight’s valuable time on Mars.