But InSight, a stationary robotic probe on Mars, has been steadily growing weaker as dust accumulates on its solar panels.

The spacecraft could prove lucky if a dust devil — a miniature whirlwind swirling along the Martian landscape — passes over and blows the dust off the solar panels.

When InSight landed in November 2018, its pristine solar panels generated 5,000 watt-hours of energy each Martian day.

The spacecraft fulfilled its main objectives during its two-year primary mission; NASA then approved a two-year extension through the end of 2022.

During its mission, InSight recorded more than 1,300 marsquakes.

Winds blowing between 10 and 15 miles per hour over InSight’s solar panels caused the spacecraft to vibrate, and spacecraft recorded the vibrations, which were transformed into sounds.

The other main instrument on InSight, a heat probe that was to hammer itself about 16 feet into the Martian soil, failed to fully deploy.

The soil where it landed tended to clump, a property that was different from material encountered at other places on Mars.

Banerdt said

Even after InSight falls silent, there will remain a possibility that a passing dust devil could sweep the solar panels and the spacecraft could revive

The InSight spacecraft arrived at Mars in 2018 to listen for marsquakes and study the planet’s structure