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An overview of the most internal structure of the planet Mars wants to get the mission "InSight" of NASA. The provincial inquiry must be interrupted Monday night on the red planet and take up its function of geophysical observatory in the coming months. The Graz Institute for Space Research (IMF) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences participates in the evaluation of the data.
3:46 pm, November 26, 2018
NASA's "InSight" mission probe (Inside Exploration for Seismic, Geodesy and Heat Transport) wants to get to the bottom of the planet. If all goes well, the region Elysium Planitia, north of the equator Mars, will settle around 21 hours without damage. For two years, she will conduct geophysical research on the internal Martian structure. The researchers hope to draw conclusions about the early history of the red planet and ultimately about the formation of the Earth more than four billion years ago.
Through a combination of specialized instruments, InSight can hear the depths of the surface of Mars. Among other things, the "pulse" (seismic), the "fever curve" (planetary heat flux) and the reflexes (rotational fluctuations) of the planet are examined, said Günther Kargl of the Research Institute space from the ÖAW to the APA. Austrian researchers are also involved in the mission: the IMF in Graz is responsible for evaluating some of the scientific data collected during the mission.
First of all, the extraction of the "heat flow and physical properties package" (HP3) must be carried out by means of a special mechanism reminiscent of a hammer nail. With his help, you dive into the Martian soil. Subsequently, in December, it will be really interesting for IMF experts: they will draw conclusions on the mechanical properties of the Martian surface soil on the Martian soil based on the measurement data recorded during the penetration of the Martian surface. 39; device.
"We want to reach at least three meters of soil, the depth of the target would be five meters," Kargl told APA. To reach this depth, about 10,000 results are needed. The project will take about two months, "he said, adding that the IMF's contribution was to study the mechanical properties of the soil that can be deduced from the penetration of the mole HP3 into the Martian soil. University of Technology Graz and funded by the Austrian Agency for the Promotion of Research FFG.
In addition, manipulations of the surface with the blade of the instrument deployment arm are also performed in order to be able to determine other mechanical parameters of the regolith soil with an independent investigation, as was called by the IMF.
At present, Mars is about 146 million kilometers from Earth and terrestrial stations need about eight minutes to receive radio signals. "At" InSight ", two small satellites were sent for the first time, they fly behind the provincial probe and, so to speak, observe the immersion of" InSight "in the atmosphere and sequence of Next landing from the front row, without a foot, "Kargl said. As soon as the landing gear landed safely on the ground, it sends the signal "I did it".
Since the provincial probe can not communicate directly with the Earth, the existing space probes in orbit must act as relay stations. However, because of their web geometry, the transfer may be delayed. At the time of landing, the space probes "Mars Renaissance" and "2001 Mars Orbiter" should be used.
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