The internet is in its feels over the possibly last photo of NASA's InSight lander
"I'm not crying about a robot, you're crying about a robot."
NASA's InSight lander has possibly sent its last photo of Mars before it dies on the planet. The space agency shared a photo of an image taken by the robot on Dec. 19, adding that it could stop functioning anytime soon.
"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," the tweet read.
"If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will—but I'll be signing off here soon. Thanks for staying with me."
On Dec. 19, NASA reported that InSight did not respond to communications from earth and that the lander's power has been declining for months. "It's assumed InSight may have reached its end of operations. It's unknown what prompted the change in its energy; the last time the mission contacted the spacecraft was on Dec. 15, 2022."
NASA launched the InSight lander in May 2018, with the bot touching down in Mars' plains of Elysium Panitia in November of that year. Its purpose was to understand the red planet's interior with a seismometer to measure marsquakes.
Users on Twitter got emotional over InSight's farewell tweet, writing "Why am I crying over a robot?"
Another shared how InSight carried the ambition and curiosity of humanity.
"Maybe because they're made from and carry with them the hopes and dreams of humanity, our curiosity and owner? This makes them avatars of some of our best collective qualities. I'm crying too and my gratitude to the humans who make these missions possible is endless," they said.
"NOOO PLEASE SOMEONE SEND A BATTERY. NASA SEND ME I'LL REPLACE THE BATTERY I DON'T CARE," another tweeted.
"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," said one user.