After four years on Mars, NASA's InSight lander will be decommissioned.
On Tuesday, May 17, a special meeting of important InSight mission personnel was held.
It was verified that the lander's two 7-foot-wide solar panels would likely halt science operations by the end of the summer, before losing power completely in December, due to rising levels of dust on them.
InSight has identified over 1,300 marsquakes thanks to its array of scientific instruments.
Including one that was just recorded as the greatest quake ever detected on another planet — as well as locating quake-prone areas on Mars.
Overall, the mission was a huge success, with the lander accomplishing its principal objectives within its first two years of operation.
"InSight has revolutionised our understanding of rocky planet interiors and paved the way for future missions," said Lori Glaze, NASA's Planetary Science Division director.
"What we've learned about Mars' core structure can be applied to Earth, the moon, Venus, and even other solar systems' rocky planets."
As things stand, the seismometer is expected to fail in the coming months, leaving InSight with only enough power to take a few photos and communicate with Earth before going silent in December.
ALSO READ : NASA’s James Web Telescope captures the first stunning image