Insights about the depths of Mars will soon be revealed with NASA’s new mission, InSight.
Earlier this month, the mission received its final approval to launch during the spring of 2018. What new knowledge will InSight bring to us?
How are rocky planets formed, including Earth? InSight will study the structure of the red planet’s interior and its processes.
The mission will also study tectonic activity and meteorite impacts – both of which could be applicable to understanding these occurrences on Earth.
InSight stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. What will be onboard?
The spacecraft would have launched earlier this year in May had it not been for an issue in the mission’s primary instrument. The problem arose when a vacuum chamber, required for the prime instrument, had a leak. This instrument is called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, or SEIS. The vacuum seal is required around the main sensors of SEIS. Both NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and France’s space agency, Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), continue to be important parts in InSight’s mission.
The other instrument on InSight is the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, or HP3. This is provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
InSight artist concept. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The mission will venture deeper into Mars than any spacecraft in history.
Due to orbital dynamics, the soonest window when the mission can launch will be 2018.
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate provided the final approval for the mission’s launch. Additionally, the spacecraft was built by founding member of the Coalition, Lockheed Martin.
Learn more about the mission at NASA.gov.