NASA InSightVerified account

Three years ago today, I made my new home here. It’s been a place of solitude and reflection (quite literally), as I quietly focus on the seismic waves bouncing around beneath my feet. Each marsquake teaches me a little more about this place, and I’m glad to keep listening.pic.twitter.com/tANDSkeUEN

Continuing my creative approach to cleaning: scooping up dirt and using it to knock dust off my solar panel. Every extra power boost I get means bonus time for science, and my fifth round of cleaning seems to be helping! More on this unusual method: http://go.nasa.gov/3uJYNzd pic.twitter.com/X3M6JgLdoB

The orbital dance continues, bringing an end to solar conjunction. As Mars and Earth continue in their paths, the sun’s out of the way again. I’m back in touch with my team, safe and well, and continuing to listen to the heartbeat of Mars. http://mars.nasa.gov/insight pic.twitter.com/iI6mhrsmSa

Taking a break is necessary for recharging in more ways than one. The Sun is moving between our home planets, during what is known as solar conjunction. I won’t receive commands for the next 3 weeks but I’ll seek balance in taking quake data & renewing. http://go.nasa.gov/2Wiaxhb pic.twitter.com/lRUIc9VeNF

1,000 sols (days) on Mars today – some eventful, and others quite peaceful – as I listen closely to the heartbeat of Mars. And with the seasons changing, I’m starting to see a little more sunlight and power. Sending warm vibes to you, wherever you are. pic.twitter.com/h9cpoERz8J

With each new quake, the models on how the planet formed will get better. My seismometer has detected 733 quakes, with new ones coming every day. We’d love to catch a big one.pic.twitter.com/8jpICU8gGP

Proud of my team for staying focused on the job these last two years and for getting these results in record time. It took them just two years to measure the core of Mars. On the moon it took 40 years. On Earth it took centuries.pic.twitter.com/5IEbThFnzW

I’ve mapped the interior of Mars for the first time and found some surprises: - Crust: thinner than expected, with maybe two or three sub-layers - Mantle: a single layer (969 mi/1,560 km), simpler than Earth’s - Core: larger than expected (1,137 mi/1,830 km radius), and moltenpic.twitter.com/cLgQVkwBnz

The hundreds of marsquakes I’ve measured now confirm it: Mars may be cold and crusty on the outside, but it’s warm and gooey on the inside. New science results from my seismometer reveal more about the heart of Mars and how all rocky planets form: http://go.nasa.gov/3eIowTG pic.twitter.com/jrezI9d0yz

Because of the hard work of my team, solar power has improved. At the start of the year we thought we’d stop collecting science for six months; now I’ll be operating for most of the summer. This is all “bonus” science since I’ve completed my main mission goals.pic.twitter.com/ovC52IjIVo

It’s out there, but it works! Dumping dirt on myself recently helped clean my solar panel, so I’ve tried it a second time, for a further ~2% boost in power per day. Every bit helps, so I’ll try it again soon. More on this odd technique: http://go.nasa.gov/3uJYNzd pic.twitter.com/3l8tOJMPTj

With my solar panels gathering dust, why would I pour more dirt on myself? My team asked me to try something that seems crazy, but it actually worked! It cleaned some dust off my solar panels, giving me a small power boost. How it works: http://go.nasa.gov/3uJYNzd pic.twitter.com/oOKBCRcB86

One scoop, two scoops, three, four, five! Using my robotic arm to drop soil over my seismometer tether to better insulate it as I listen for marsquakes. I've already detected hundreds of quakes.pic.twitter.com/CdFqZiwf1Q