NASA’s InSight instrument on Mars detected a magnitude 5 Mars earthquake (marsquake). This earthquake was recorded as the biggest earthquake to occur since the spacecraft landed on the planet in November 2018. This was a pivotal moment for InSight at a troubling time, as the spacecraft’s solar panels continued to gather dust, ending the vehicle’s life on Mars for years to come.
InSight’s mission on the Red Planet is to probe the interior of Mars by first detecting tremors from the surface. Different earthquakes occur on this planet, unlike earthquakes on Earth, which are typically caused by the displacement of tectonic plates. “Mars earthquakes” are thought to be caused by the planet’s crust becoming more brittle and cooling over time causing it to crack. Equipped with a highly sensitive seismometer built by France’s space agency, InSight has detected more than 1,313 earthquakes since landing on the planet three and a half years ago, NASA says.
The first earthquakes InSight felt were of relatively low magnitude. Until the last earthquake, the largest Martian earthquake detected by the spacecraft was 4.2 magnitude. This latest magnitude 5 earthquake, detected on May 4, is still pretty weak compared to what we sometimes experience on Earth. But NASA says it’s close to the strongest type of earthquake it expects to see on Mars. The InSight team will now review data from the earthquake to learn more about its source and extent. “Since we installed our seismometer in December 2018, we’ve been expecting a ‘major earthquake.’ This earthquake will definitely provide a view of the planet like no other,” said Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator at NASA.
Meanwhile, InSight has been reportedly having difficulties recently. In January, a particularly strong Martian dust storm blocked enough sunlight from reaching InSight’s solar panels, reducing the spacecraft’s power supply. In response, InSight entered safe mode, a type of operational procedure in which the spacecraft stopped all but the most important missions it had to perform to survive.
Then InSight exited safe mode and started producing full power again. But dust continues to build up on InSight’s solar panels, and although NASA has tried a number of unconventional techniques, there’s no way to completely clean the vehicle’s hardware. Due to the lack of very strong winds to blow the dust, InSight will soon be unable to generate enough power for its standard operation and may reach that point later this year.
Fortunately, Insight’s core mission will not fail, as it was completed in December 2020.
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