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NASA InSight launches its first instrument on the surface of Mars, thus crossing a milestone
On new images of a vehicle on landing, a seismometer is visible on the surface, its Copper cladding is barely lit at Martian's dusk, Ukrinform reports, citing NASA's official website.
"The configuration of the equipment should be completed in early January and the deployment of an electromechanical boom should take place at the end of the month," says the message.
"The March InSight activity calendar was better than expected," said Tom Hoffman, InSight Project Manager, who works at NASA's propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, California.
"The safe location of a seismometer on the surface is a breathtaking Christmas present," he said.
] The InSight satellite sank on Mars in the Elizium Highlands on November 26th. At the same time, the RISE (Rotational Experience and Interior Structure) feature has been activated – a radio device that provides the expert with accurate measurements of the rotation and oscillations of the planet using the module communication.
On Tuesday, Dec. 18, InSight engineers sent commands to a spacecraft. On Wednesday, December 19, the seismometer was carefully placed on the surface, just in front of the landing platform, approximately a distance from the hand (5,367 feet or 1,636 meters).
"The deployment of the seismometer is just as important as the landing of InSight on Mars," said the chief investigator. InSight Bruce Banerdt. According to him, the seismometer is a priority tool in InSight: it must perform about three quarters of the scientific tasks.
A seismometer allows scientists to look inside Mars, to study the movement of soils, also known as marsotraux. Each of these "marsotraus" acts as a kind of light bulb that illuminates the structure of the planet. By analyzing how seismic waves cross the layers of the planet, scientists can determine the depth and composition of these layers.
The NASA team is now working on the alignment of the device, the surface being tilted from two to three degrees. In the future, employees will try to adjust the cable that connects SEIS to InSight to minimize third-party noise. In early January, they plan to place protective screens on the seismometer. At the end of January, the installation of the HP3 electromechanical bomber was planned, for which a place was taken on the east side. It will make a hole five meters deep and measure the amount of heat released by the depths. The staff hopes to be able to determine the heat source.
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