After placing further strain on the spacecraft's power source in late September, NASA's InSight lander managed to endure a continent-sized Martian dust storm.
Just a few months ago, NASA ultimately decided to give up on InSight's survival, claiming that any solar panel debris would eventually be covered by dust. However, judging by the fact that InSight is still hanging on, it would appear that Mars' weather has been on our side.
NASA InSight Lander Survives Powerful Solar Storm
SciTechDaily said the NASA InSight Mars Lander was reportedly confronted by a powerful storm threatening its survival and functioning on the neighboring planet. The spacecraft survived, though, and is currently carrying on with its duties while regenerating the energy it used to take from the Sun for its solar panels.
The InSight Lander's light output decreased from 425 watt-hours per sol to barely 275 watt-hours per sol due to the continent-sized dust storm that obscured all potential light sources.
The InSight crew saw this as a serious threat to the spacecraft because it was believed that the storm was the end of it.
On September 21, NASA announced a dust storm that passed over the InSight Lander's location in the southern hemisphere of Mars. At first, it was believed that the storm would have minimal impact on the lander. The researchers assumed this would only have a little influence because it was around 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) from the InSight and did not anticipate it would significantly impact the lander.
