NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California was in charge of the mission, and its scientists also expressed their sorrow at InSight’s end while praising the scientific discoveries the robot was able to make.
“InSight has more than lived up to its name. As a scientist who’s spent a career studying Mars, it’s been a thrill to see what the lander has achieved, thanks to an entire team of people across the globe who helped make this mission a success,” Laurie Leshin, director of the JPL, said in a statement. “Yes, it’s sad to say goodbye, but InSight’s legacy will live on, informing and inspiring.”
The InSight mission’s principal investigator, Bruce Banerdt, echoed her sentiments. “We’ve thought of InSight as our friend and colleague on Mars for the past four years, so it’s hard to say goodbye,” he said in that same statement. “But it has earned its richly deserved retirement.”
