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Washington / Zurich – This is an extremely difficult maneuver: for the first time since the "Curiosity" mission, a lander will land on Mars in the evening. Also on board: a seismometer, in which ETH researchers are involved significantly.
Photo: KEYSTONE / NASA / JPL-Caltech / NASA / JPL-CALTECH DISTRIBUTION
A landing on Mars is always a thrill: with the help of a parachute, for example, the terrain "InSight" is slowed down on the path leading to the Martian soil. (Drawing)
For the first time since 2012, the US space agency Nasa wants to put a robot on Mars (around 9 pm, Swiss time) on Mars. After a journey of about 485 million kilometers, the lander launched in May will launch "InSight" on the plain of Elysium Planitia north of the equator of Mars on the Red Planet. On board are scientific instruments that researchers use to study the interior of Mars.
The last Nasa 2012 brought the "Curiosity" rover successfully to Mars. Landings on the Red Planet are considered extremely difficult: according to NASA, only about 40% of previous global missions worldwide have been successful.
"InSight" weighs 360 kilograms and has completed its seven-month journey to the next planet Earth at a speed of 10,000 miles at the hour. After entering the Martian atmosphere, the flying object should descend with the help of missiles and a parachute braking. Researchers control the robot from a control center in Pasadena, California. There will also be Domenico Giardini from ETH Zurich, who coordinated the participation of ETH research groups in the "InSight" mission.
Giardini is confident of landing: he is not nervous, he said in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. "But you have to accept that a lot of things can go wrong."
The intended landing site is located in a predominantly flat area with no large stones or rocks. Previous missions on Mars had not yet explored the area from the ground up. NASA's still active mobile, "Curiosity", is 500km away – and is therefore closest to it. Unlike him, however, "InSight" will not budge but will remain on the landing site.
With many scientific instruments, "InSight" ("Inside Exploration for Seismic Surveys, Geodesy and Heat Transport") will study Mars and learn more about the structure of the planet and the underlying dynamics. As soon as the undercarriage is safe, searching for the proper locations for the imported counters begins. A robotic arm will raise it to the optimal position.
One of these devices is a seismometer designed to measure the impacts of earthquakes and meteors. Seismologists at ETH Zurich will be the first to see the data. "We have never done such measurements on Mars yet," Giardini said. The first results could be in January. If everything goes well then.
Using these seismic measurements, the researchers hope to clarify some unresolved issues regarding the inside of the red planet. For example, about the size of the kernel and its liquid or solid nature. The more they record the impacts of Marsquakes or meteors, the more image they get from the inside of the planet is clear. "We are planning a Martian earthquake about every two weeks," says Giardini.
There is also a "Marsmaulwurf" on board, which must hit the ground of the planet. The robot with the official name HP3 ("Heat Flux and Physical Properties") was developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The sharp device, 40 centimeters long, will penetrate to a depth of five meters and measure the heat flow there.
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