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MarCO CubeSats Artist Concept – Spaceship the size of a briefcase traveling with the InSight mission – relaying data from the InSight lander when it enters the Martian atmosphere. Image via NASA / JPL-Caltech.
What is the sound of a touchdown on Mars?
If you're at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, you'll have the impression of winning the Super Bowl: cheers, laughter and a lot of howling. 19659005] But in the minutes leading up to this, the NASA InSight team will monitor the March Mars LG's radio signals with the help of various spacecraft – and even radio telescopes here on Earth – to determine what is happening at 91 million kilometers (146 million kilometers). 19659005] Since these signals are picked up by several spacecraft, they are relayed to the Earth in different ways and at different times. This means that the mission team can know immediately when InSight touches the ground or wait until several hours.
This is how NASA will listen to the March landing on November 26, 2018.
Radio Telescopes
When the InSight lander goes down in the atmosphere of Mars, it will emit simple radio signals called "tones" on Earth. The engineers will connect to two locations: the Green Bank observatory at the National Science Foundation in Green Bank, West Virginia, and the facilities of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Effelsberg, Germany. Their results will be shared with Mission Control at JPL and engineers at Lockheed Martin Space in Denver.
These tones do not reveal much information, but radio engineers can interpret them to track key events when entering, descending, and landing in the InSight (EDL). For example, when InSight deploys its parachute, a gear change changes the signal frequency. This is due to the so-called Doppler effect, which is identical to what happens when you hear a change in siren height when pbading an ambulance. The search for such signals will allow the team to know how evolving the InSight EDL.
March Cube One (MarCO)
Two suit-sized ships fly behind InSight and will attempt to relay his. signals to the Earth. Belonging to a clbad of spaceships called CubeSats, the MarCOs are tested to allow future missions to send data home during the EDL.
MarCOs are an experimental technology. But if they work as they should, they will see the whole story of the JEL as it unfolds. This could include an InSight image of the Martian surface just after the landing.
InSight
After landing, InSight will basically scream:
I did it!
] Seven minutes later, the spaceship repeats it – but a little louder and clearer.
The first time, he will communicate with a distress beacon that the radio telescopes will try to detect. The second time, it will emit a "beep" of its most powerful X-band antenna, which should now be directed to the Earth. This beep contains a little more information and is only heard if the probe is in good working order. If NASA's Deep Space Network picks up this beep, it's a good sign that InSight survived the landing. Engineers will have to wait in the early evening to find out if the LG has deployed its solar panels successfully.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
In addition to the MarCO CubeSats, the NASA MRO will skyrocket to Mars, recording InSight data during the descent.
The MRO will retain the data it records during the LDC when they disappear on the Martian horizon. When it comes back on the other side, engineers will be able to study this data. On November 26 (6 pm Eastern Standard Time), they should be able to restore the registration of the landing by MRO.
The MRO registration is similar to the black box of an airplane, which means that it could also prove important if InSight
2001 Mars Odyssey
NASA's longest-lived spacecraft at Mars will also transmit data after InSight's landings. Odyssey will retrace the entire story of InSight's descent into Mars, as well as some footage. He will also convey confirmation that the InSight solar panels, which are essential for the survival of the spacecraft, are fully deployed. Engineers will have this data just before 1:30 UTC November 27 (8:30 pm EST November 26).
Odyssey will also serve as a data relay for InSight during ground operations alongside NASA's Mars Atmosphere MRO. Mission Evolution Volatile (MAVEN) and the gas orbiter traced from the European Space Agency.
Artist concept of Mars Insight spacecraft landing on Mars, via NASA.
Conclusion: Here's how NASA will know the fate of its InSight lander, while it's trying to land on Mars on Monday, November 26, 2018.
The 2019 lunar calendars are here! Order yours before they leave. Makes a great gift.
Via NASA
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