This story is part of Welcome to Mars, our series about exploring the red planet.
Mars selfies are a whole category of images. They give mission teams back to Earth a good look at the hardware, but they are also a way to help space fans feel connected to these distant explorers of the Red Planet. NASA’s InSight lander has sent back what will likely be his last self-portrait, one last look at a brave machine in recent days.
On Monday, NASA JPL tweeted a GIF dancing between InSight’s first selfie in December 2018 and his last. He emphasizes how much dust the cover now covers. JPL described it as “what will probably be his last selfie”.
The image comes from April 24 and is a mosaic of photos taken by a camera mounted on the robotic arm of the lander. The hand is planned to be placed in a “retirement position” this month.
Due to the thick layer of dust on its solar panels, InSight has to distribute energy and the team gives priority to its seismometer to monitor earthquakes. As the dust problem worsens, InSight is expected to complete its mission by the end of this year. JPL even called the photo in InSight’s latest selfie.
It’s hard to say goodbye to a mission you’ve been through for years, but InSight has kept its promise to illuminate the interior of Mars. Not everything works as planned, but his data on earthquakes and the composition of the interiors of the red planet are instructive for researchers studying rocky planets such as Mars and Earth.
The dusty selfie is a suitable souvenir from the precious time of InSight on Mars.
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