'Dying' Mars rover makes people cry with heartbreaking farewell message to Earth

The NASA InSight rover doesn't have long left to live, and its beautiful farewell message to humanity has Twitter users crying over a research robot thousands of miles away in space

Tech

Ciarán Daly Technology reporter

15:38, 22 Dec 2022

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THIS PICTURE:This illustration shows NASA's InSight spacecraft with its instruments deployed on the Martian surface. --- See SWNS story SWNAinsight --- A sad message from Mars has made social media users cry. A statement from NASA's InSight lander posted Monday (19 Dec) reads "My power’s really low, so this may be the last image I can send." The lander has been on a mission to the Red Planet to study its deep interior. However, a build-up of dust on its solar panels has caused it to slowly lose power. InSight's message continued: "Don’t worry about me though: my time here has been both productive and serene. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will – but I’ll be signing off here soon. Thanks for staying with me." Twitter user Scott Turek's comment "Why am I crying over a robot?" was answered by a Mx. Bluets with "Maybe because they're made from and carry with them the hopes & dreams of humanity, our curiosity and wonder? This makes them avatars of some of our best collective qualities. I'm crying too & my gratitude to the humans who make these missions possible is endless."

NASA's lonely InSight rover is powering down for good(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SWNS)

A NASA Mars rover has shared its 'last words' on Twitter, breaking hearts across the Internet.

NASA's InSight rover, which famously took the first ever 'selfie' on Mars, is due to power down and lose contact with Earth soon.

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Its solar panels have been coated in thick Martian dust, meaning it can no longer power itself up anymore.

But it's a farewell post from the rover's official Twitter account that's really breaking people's hearts, as the robot prepares to shut down for good.

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THIS PICTURE: NASA’s InSight Mars lander captured this image of one of its dust-covered solar panels on April 24, 2022. --- See SWNS story SWNAinsight --- A sad message from Mars has made social media users cry. A statement from NASA's InSight lander posted Monday (19 Dec) reads "My power’s really low, so this may be the last image I can send." The lander has been on a mission to the Red Planet to study its deep interior. However, a build-up of dust on its solar panels has caused it to slowly lose power. InSight's message continued: "Don’t worry about me though: my time here has been both productive and serene. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will – but I’ll be signing off here soon. Thanks for staying with me." Twitter user Scott Turek's comment "Why am I crying over a robot?" was answered by a Mx. Bluets with "Maybe because they're made from and carry with them the hopes & dreams of humanity, our curiosity and wonder? This makes them avatars of some of our best collective qualities. I'm crying too & my gratitude to the humans who make these missions possible is endless."

The InSight Mars rover's solar panels are covered in dust, meaning it's going to run out of power soon - and lose contact with Earth forever(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SWNS)

The rover 'wrote' on Twitter: "My power’s really low, so this may be the last image I can send. Don’t worry about me though: my time here has been both productive and serene. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will – but I’ll be signing off here soon. Thanks for staying with me."

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Twitter users were heartbroken by the post, sharing memes of people crying and messages of condolence.

"I'm not crying about a robot you're crying about a robot," wrote Brett Banditelli.

"Hurts more than my last breakup" said another user.

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Emma Hayes of the account @giraffeand1half wrote: "Even if it's only a robot, it's an honorary member of humanity. I would argue that it's symbolic of humanity itself. Us, launching our little creations into space, hoping to feel closer to the chaotic and beautiful universe we know so little about. Rest easy, my friend."

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Others were less sentimental. "How come nobody at NASA has invented windshield wipers yet?" wrote Twitter user Fankoosh, referring to the fact the robot's solar panels have stopped working due to Martian dust.

The spacecraft was first announced 10 years ago, and its goal was to help discover how Mars was formed. The craft discovered that the red planet has 'Marsquakes', just like Earth.

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