The cosmic probe begins to work on Mars

Photo: REUTERS / SCANPIX / LETA

On Mars, the space probe InSight, launched by NASA, was ordered Monday to scientists American, French and German.

On the way to Mars, the probe has traveled 548 million kilometers in six months.

The Zonde sits near the equator of Mars in the western part of the planet, which is flat and smooth, facilitating drilling operations. Experts note that it is the first cosmic probe equipped with devices to study the internal structure of Mars, seeking answers to questions regarding the early stages of development of other planets – Mercury, Venus and Earth 4.5 billion years ago.

The purpose of the study is to clarify the information on the inner core density of iron and metal of Mars to determine if the metal is in liquid or solid state in the center of the planet. The probe of the German scientist aims to measure the planet's temperature to about five meters deep in order to determine the source of heat and to investigate whether Mars is formed of the same substance as the Earth and the Moon.

The Zonde is equipped with highly sensitive sensors manufactured by French scientists who will study the "pulse" of Mars – seismic waves caused by tremors, meteor shocks and dust storms. Such measurements on Mars have never been done before, reports Reuters. The Zonde will explore Mars over the next 24 months, about a year on Mars.

Photo: Al Seib / REUTERS / SCANPIX / LETA

"The reason we explode on Mars is not just the desire to better understand its structure, but also the structure and formation of the Earth," said Bruce Banerd, one of the project's researchers. of a billion dollars, in an interview with Reuters.

The researchers want to find an answer to the question of why Mars, once a relatively hot and humid planet, has developed unlike the Earth, becoming an arid, desert and cold world where there is no of life. James Green, NASA's leading researcher, says the answer could be to Mars's ancient past, magnetic fields and tectonic activity.