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Artistic reproduction of the InSight lander. (image: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
As the words "touchdown" affirmed, resonated in NASA's reaction propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, California, the whole room burst with joy. Shortly after Monday midnight (India time), NASA's historic InSight satellite made a nearly 485 million-kilometer journey on Mars, in an effort to give the Red Planet its very first " health check »complete.
Insight, which was launched on May 5 this year, completing the grueling 7 minute entry into the atmosphere of the red planet to land gently at the surface around 1:23 am, Eastern Time. Scientists, enthusiasts of astronomy and millions of people around the world have witnessed this historic moment by watching live viewing nights and streaming live on the internet.
The Mission
"InSight" means exploration of the interior with the aid of seismic surveys, geodesy and heat transport. . It was the 8th time NASA had successfully landed on the red planet. The spacecraft will become the first robotic explorer of outer space to study the deep interior of Mars: its crust, mantle and core. Scientists hope the data will help us understand how rocky planets such as Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars formed, and reveal details of the Martian tectonic activity and the past impacts of meteorites.
Artistic interpretation of the InSight lander operating on the surface of Mars. (image: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
When they formed about 4.5 to 4.6 billion years ago, the Earth and Mars had many similarities. However, about 3 to 4 billion years ago, the two celestial neighbors took very different paths. Why did this happen? Scientists hope that over the next two years, InSight will be able to provide us with the essential details to understand what has produced a habitable March by exploring the layers of matter of the planet and the amount of heat released.
InSight has reached the top. from the Martian atmosphere at a speed of 19,800 km / h and slowed down to eight km / h before his three legs touch the Martian soil. This extreme deceleration occurred in just under seven minutes. Shortly after the landing, InSight returned the first image of the red planet.
An artist view of the entrance, descent and landing (EDL) of InSight. (image: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
An experimental technology called Mars Cube One (MarCO) is used in this mission to convey the process of entry, descent and landing, including a photograph from the surface of Mars right after InSight. touch it. In addition to MarCO, two other spacecraft were used to relay data on Earth: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Odyssey.
The "Health Check "
After Upon landing, a robotic arm will place mission instruments, including a seismometer, a heat probe and radio equipment, the surface of Mars. The placement and calibration of instruments will take 2-3 months. Meanwhile, the onboard cameras will capture color, 3D, surroundings and equipment to be sent home.
An illustration of the Lander InSight artist on Mars. (image: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
So what exactly will the equipment do? While the seismometer will use seismic waves to study the Mars crust, the heat flux probe (HP3) will penetrate the ground to detect the escaping heat of Mars, and the Radio Science Experiment (RISE) will study the March movement in his
By checking the seismic "pulse" and internal temperature of Mars, InSight will be the most profound look humanity has ever made on the evolution of our nearest planetary neighbor. In doing so, we can learn a few things about ourselves and the universe in which we live. And if that happens, it would amply justify the time and expense of calling the farthest home from a "doctor" in human history. [19659003]
A spacecraft specialist prepares NASA's InSight spacecraft for thermal vacuum testing on August 18, 2015 (NASA / JPL-Caltech / Lockheed Martin)
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(With IANS entries)
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