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"InSight" is the name of NASA's latest mission. Its destination is Mars. By the end of November, the spacecraft is expected to reach the red planet and land there. "InSight will study the vital signs of Mars: its pulse (seismology), its temperature (heat flow) and its reflexes (radio science)," he told Nasa. "This will be the first in-depth review since the origin of the planet." NASA's Mars mission also involves German and European researchers. An overview:
The calendar of the "Insight" mission
Since May 2018, "InSight" is moving towards Mars. The satellite must land on November 26 on the red planet. 60 days before landing, the "phase of approach" has begun. In this phase, the last path corrections are made, the systems are checked and, for example, the software is started, which is necessary for the landing procedure. On November 26, 2018 at 9 pm, "InSight" will land on Mars. This occurs autonomously because sending signals from Mars to Mars and conversely takes too much time. During the landing, the technology used was successfully used in 2008 at the Phoenix "lander".
No matter how many times we did it before, landing on #March it's hard! My mission is not different. Thousands of steps to work perfectly together. More information on landing: https://t.co/E46jVgdbKw pic.twitter.com/p08h8CBEij
– NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 1, 2018
"InSight" will fall forward with the heat shield through the thin Martian atmosphere. About three and a half minutes past the entrance, the "InSights" parachute must open – at a speed of about 415 meters per second and at a height of about 12 kilometers above Martian soil. For about three minutes, "InSight" will float to the ground on the parachute. Meanwhile, the probe must push back the heat shield and extend its three legs. By means of a radar, "InSight" begins to measure the distance to the ground. About 45 seconds before the landing and at a height of 1.2 km, "InSight" separates from the parachute. Then, twelve training nozzles take over: they pull and brake more the undercarriage. A software controls the nozzles so that "InSight" rotates properly before landing: The solar panels must appear in the unfolded state to the east and to the west. At a speed of 2.4 meters per second, "InSight" will finally land on Mars. The targeted region is "Elysium Planitia" at the equator of the planet. There are only a few rocks that make landing difficult, and a lot of sun.
Just one minute after landing, "InSight" should start working. The mission also has not too much time: a year and 40 days on March – until November 24, 2020 – should last the main mission. First, the LG will deploy its solar panels to gain energy. In the future, "InSight" will explore the landing site with a camera and look for suitable locations to place the instruments brought. In December, the SEIS seismometer will be installed for the first time and, in January 2019, the HP3 heat flow sensor will be placed on the ground with the aid of a gripping arm.
The purpose of the "InSight" mission
"InSight" is intended to answer fundamental questions about the formation of Earth-like planets by exploring Mars. Our solar system contains four rocky planets: besides the Earth and Mars, the planets Venus and Mercury are also included. They were formed four and a half billion years ago in the hot solar nebula, but they grew very differently. Even outside our solar system, there are rocky planets to which mission information should be transferable.
Scientists are particularly interested in the core of Mars: is it fluid or solid? This is one of the fundamental questions that the InSight mission should answer. "InSight" is a mission to Mars, but it's more than a mission on Mars, NASA said.The mission "will help scientists understand how all Earth-like planets have emerged and have evolved in their early days. "
Seismometer for Mars
"InSight" aboard two great experiences. The Seismic Experience for Interior Structure (SEIS) aims to determine the current level of tectonic activity and the impact rate of meteorites on Mars. SEIS must determine the magnitude, frequency and geographical distribution of earthquakes. This instrument is an American-European cooperation: it was produced by the French space agency CNES in cooperation with ETH Zurich, the Max Planck Institute for Research on the Solar System of Göttingen and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of The NASA.
HP3 – a mole pierces in Mars
The second experience also comes from Europe. The "Heat Flow and Physical Properties Set" Heat Flow Probe (HP3) was developed and built by the German Aerospace Center DLR. The probe, which scientists affectionately call "mole", is expected to penetrate Martian soil within two months to a depth of five meters. The shelling probe pulls a cable behind it, which is equipped with 14 temperature sensors. Once the "mole" reaches the target depth, the sensors must measure the temperature every 15 minutes for a few months. From the data obtained, researchers can draw conclusions about the heat production inside Mars and its rate of cooling. In addition, they receive clues about the composition of the planet and its activity.
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