InSight on Mars: Where, How and Why

At the time of its release, NASA's InSight probe will have landed on Mars to explore aspects of the planet never studied before. What makes the mission so special?

What She Will Study

InSight will not seek to live on Mars. He will study his insides – what he is made of, how this material is laminated and how much heat will come out of it. This is important because the Earth and Mars were similar – hot, humid and enveloped in thick atmospheres – before they had taken different paths 3 or 4 billion years ago. Mars has stopped changing while the Earth has continued to evolve. With InSight, scientists hope to compare Earth to Mars and better understand how the starting materials of a planet make it more or less likely to support life.

Equipments

InSight (Inland exploration using seismic surveys, geodesy and heat transport) on a 24-month mission. The landing site is Elysium Planitia, where InSight can remain motionless and silent.

The LG (6 m × 1.56 m, bridge height 83-108 cm) features a robotic arm of a length of 1.8 m. It is powered by two solar panels and includes a seismometer, a thermal probe and a radio science experiment. Two complementary technical cameras help navigation and risk prevention. One is mounted on the arm; the other on the front of the undercarriage.

My first picture on #March ! My lens cover is not out yet, but I only had to show you a first look at my new home. More status updates: https: //t.co/tYcLE3tkkS #MarsLanding pic.twitter.com/G15bJjMYxa

– NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 26 2018

How to know that he landed

From Earth, the NASA team will monitor the radio signals with the help of various spacecraft – and even radio telescopes on Earth – to discover what is happening at 146 million kilometers. The signals will come from different sources – the landing gear during the descent; two experimental spacecraft the size of a briefcase, called MarCO, flying behind InSight; InSight itself after the landing; the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) satellite during the descent; the March 2001 Odyssey after the InSight touchdown.