InSight

NASA's InSight placed a stationary geophysical observatory in Elysium Planitia on November 26, 2018 to investigate the interior of Mars. Its robotic arm deployed a seismometer directly onto the ground, allowing vibrations from marsquakes and impacts to be used to study the crust, mantle, and core. Radio tracking also examined the planet's rotation, while environmental sensors supplied context for the seismic measurements. The seismometer recorded 1,319 marsquakes, creating a dataset that continues to support studies of the Martian interior. The separate heat-flow experiment did not achieve its planned deep measurement: its self-hammering probe could not gain sufficient friction in the local soil, and recovery efforts ended in 2021. Dust accumulation on the solar panels eventually left the lander unable to generate enough power; NASA retired the mission in December 2022.