"Thanks for staying with me." This is the latest tweet from the Twitter account of NASA InSight on Monday afternoon.
NASA's InSight Mars lander is nearing the end of its lifespan after staying on the Red Planet for over four years. The InSight lander was launched in May 2018. It landed on Mars after six months.
NASA InSight Team Posted an Emotional Tweet
The emotional tweet posted by the NASA InSight team from the lander's point of view tugged at the hearts of social media users as it expressed gratitude to everyone for following its mission to Mars, according to 9News.
In the tweet, NASA InSight announced that its power is really low and the image may be the last one it can send.
The InSight lander also told everyone not to worry because its stay on the Red Planet has been both productive and serene. The robot also said that although it wants to keep talking to its mission team, it will be signing off soon.
The robot was sent to Mars to study below the surface and deep inside the planet, including its crust, mantle, and core, according to CNET.
Moreover, the lander has also been monitoring the tectonic, seismic, and meteorite movements on the Red Planet.
According to NASA, studying the interior structure of Mars answers key questions about the early formation of rocky planets in the inner solar system, such as Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Moreover, it also provides insights into the early formation of rocky exoplanets, the agency said.
During its four-year exploration of the Red Planet, NASA InSight lander detected a magnitude five Marsquake. Scientists believe that it was a result of a meteorite strike. In addition, the robot also measured over 1300 seismic events.
Similarly, it also studied dust devils which are dust storms that occur on Mars as well as the electrical currents that flow through the center of the planet.
Read Also: NASA's InSight Lander Detects Meteoroid Impact on Mars Weeks Before Shut Down
NASA Will Officially End InSight Lander's Mission, the Agency Says
According to NASA, the agency will officially end the InSight lander's mission on Mars when the robot misses two communication attempts in a row with a spacecraft that's orbiting the planet.
Earlier this year, the team handling InSight's operations started preparing for the lander's end, according to Fox News.
The team shuts down devices that require the most power. The team also ensures that the data the lander has collected over the past four years is preserved.
Initially, the robot's pair of 7-foot-wide solar panels produce about 5,000 watt-hours each sol, or Martian day. However, as dust accumulated, the solar panels only produced about 500 watt-hours per sol last month.
During its first two years on the Red Plant, the lander's core mission was accomplished.
As the lander's mission comes to an end, Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said that because of the data the lander collected, the scientist can now see Mars as a planet with layers, different thicknesses, and compositions.
Banerdt added that are finally starting to really see the details. Mars is not just an enigma but an actual living, breathing planet.
Related Article: NASA's InSight Mars Lander Detects Magnitude 5 'Marsquake' - Biggest Ever on Non-Earth Planet
