Few things in life captivate us more than looking at images from other planets, no matter how boring these images may seem. This is especially true for Mars, as it is where we sent more robots to explore its cold, dry surface. The first image of the surface of Mars in July 1976 was nothing more than the foot of Viking 1 and some rocks, but no one cared about these mundane details because we were looking at an image of Mars. We looked at the surface of another world for the first time in human history, and it not only captivated us, we wanted more.
The first photograph taken on the surface of the planet Mars. It was obtained by Viking 1 minutes after the spacecraft successfully landed on Mars in July 1976. (Credit: NASA / JPL)
While the images sent by Viking 1 and 2 scares were impressive, both scares were unable to take pictures of themselves due to their design. No selfies could be taken and everyone loves it. Regardless of the environment or circumstances, it is important to document that you were there. Fortunately, as the number of robots that landed on the Red Planet increased, so did engineering. This included much better images, including selfies.
The first space selfie on another planet was taken by the Curiosity rover on September 7, 2012 local time at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Curiosity rover used the Mars hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) located on its arm for self-portrait. The image showed the top of the Curiosity remote sensing stick, including the ChemCam, two Mast cameras, and four navigation cameras. This first space selfie was not only a technological marvel, but it proved that the robot itself was real.
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Selfie from NASA’s Curiosity rover on September 17, 2012. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Malin Space Science Systems)
Fast forward for almost 10 years, and the most recent selfie taken on Mars was from NASA’s InSight landing device, which took this picture on April 24, 2022, Martain’s day 1,211, or the sun. mission. Unfortunately, this was the final selfie of this amazing landing, as its solar panels have become so dusty that it is producing less energy, which means that your days studying the Red Planet are numbered. Therefore, the team was scheduled to put the robotic arm of the lander in its rest position (called the “retirement pose”) for the last time in May 2022.
NASA’s InSight Mars spacecraft took this last selfie on April 24, 2022, the 1,211th Martian day, or sun, of the mission. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
Dust storms are common on the red planet and NASA is doing its best to monitor its activity. In January 2022, a dust storm nearly twice the size of the United States covered the southern hemisphere of Mars. This put InSight in “safe mode” for 11 days to save battery power, and NASA had to postpone flights from its Ingenuity Mars helicopter.
InSight, which stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, successfully landed on November 26, 2018 on the smooth plains of Elysium Planitia on Mars. Since the goal of InSight was to study the interior of Mars and take the vital signs of the planet, its dust and temperature. To achieve this, the frightener had to be in a place where he could remain still and silent throughout his mission, so Elysium Planitia was chosen. During his time on Mars, InSight accomplished several feats. This included the use of its Sismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument to record the sounds of the red planet in December 2018, along with the recording of its first marsquake in April 2019.
InSight is not the first solar-powered robotic explorer on Mars to encounter dust problems with its solar panels, as NASA’s Spirit and Opportunity (Oppy) rovers also succumbed to a lack of solar power. The difference is that the Martian wind helped keep both the Spirit and Oppy solar panels clean, allowing each rover to last well beyond its original time period.
A self-portrait of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity taken in late March 2014 (right) shows that much of the dust in the rover’s solar arrays has been removed from a similar January 2014 portrait (left). ). (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Cornell University / Arizona State University)
While the InSight mission is coming to an end, this is another reminder that, like humans, robots are deadly as well. These brave pioneers, with their hundreds of thousands of lines of code and countless circuit boards, are sent to places where humans cannot go, and most are left to fend for themselves. Fortunately, we will never forget InSight or the dozens of cousins and siblings we sent to the stranger, never to return. Maybe InSight will have its own showroom once humans finally settle on the Red Planet, along with Spirit, Oppy, and other robotic explorers from the past. Only time will tell, and that’s why we’re science!
As always, keep doing science and keep looking!
Sources: NASA (1), NASA JPL (1), NASA (2), NASA (3), NASA (4), Universe Today, Sky & Telescope, NASA (5), NASA JPL (2)
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