NASA’s retired InSight Mars lander was recently spotted by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) in an image taken on October 23, 2024, using its High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. The image shows dust build-up on the lander’s solar panels, which now match the reddish-brown colour of the Martian surface. Reports suggest this observation continues to provide insights into the movement of dust and wind patterns on Mars. InSight’s Mission and Retirement The InSight lander, which touched down in November 2018, was central to detecting Marsquakes and studying the planet’s crust, mantle, and core. NASA officially ended the mission in December 2022 after the lander stopped communicating due to excessive dust accumulation on its solar panels. Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California continued to monitor the lander for any signs of reactivation, hoping Martian winds might clear its panels. However, as per reports, no signals have been received, and listening operations will conclude by the end of this year. Tracking Dust Movement The new HiRISE images were captured to monitor how dust …