Scientists successfully give InSight Mars lander Power Boost to continue mission in Aphelion As Mars is approaching aphelion or the point at which it is the furthest away from the Sun, less sunlight reaches the spacecraft's dust-covered solar panels, lowering energy output. To overcome this, the NASA's InSight Mars lander ground staff has devised a novel method to raise the spacecraft's energy levels at a time when they have been declining. The lander's robotic arm tossed sand toward one solar panel, allowing the wind to pick up part of the dust from the panel. As a result, each sol, or Martian day, gained around 30 watt-hours of energy, said the group.