![]() These two tiny spacecraft (each is approximately the size of a briefcase) will separate from the main mission while in transit to the Red Planet and fly behind the lander. Mars Cube One, or MarCO, will also help to differentiate InSight from previous, similar missions. The processes that formed Earth and Venus have been eroded over the course of their existence, but Mars has maintained much of its history (for a period estimated at being some 3 billion years) and is, in some ways, a fossil of the Solar System’s formation, the space agency said. NASA said any marsquakes aren’t likely to be bigger than magnitude 6.0, but this could help reveal a few secrets about how Mars and other terrestrial worlds form. InSight also comes equipped with a self-hammering heat probe which should burrow down some 16 feet (5 meters) to measure Martian heat flow within the planet for the first time. Scientists could then review how the seismic waves pass through the flash-frozen world’s crust, mantle and core and therein potentially figure out the size of these layers and what they are comprised of. If InSight experiences marsquakes, they would be like a “flashbulb” that would illuminate the interior of the world to the lander, according to NASA. Marsquakes, however, could be caused by cracks forming in the Martian crust or by volcanism. NASA noted via an agency-issued release that marsquakes differentiate from those on Earth in that quakes taking place on the Red Planet would use “other” forms of tectonic activity besides the motion of tectonic plates, which is the primary cause of earthquakes on Earth. It’s hoped this will provide much clearer data. Because of this, NASA described the data that came from them as being “noisy.” InSight’s seismometers, on the other hand, will be placed directly on the Martian surface. These landers came equipped with seismometers directly affixed to them. space agency has not studied since the Viking missions of the 1970s and early 1980s. If the Red Planet is still geologically active, InSight might detect “marsquakes,” something the U.S. While all four terrestrial planets were formed around the same time, some 4.5 billion years ago, they each had very different fates and it is hoped InSight might be able to tell discover a reason for this. ![]() It is hoped that InSight, by exploring the interior of a terrestrial world other than Earth, will provide more data about how rocky worlds formed. Additionally, the spacecraft will collect data on Mars’ temperature, the planet’s seismology and other elements of Mars’ makeup. If InSight (an acronym for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) touches down on the planet’s surface without a hitch, the probe should peer into Mars’ interior near the equator. Photo Credit: NASAįor starters, Phoenix was sent to the Red Planet’s northern polar region to seek out water and for environments suitable for microbial life on Mars. InSight undergoes a solar panel deployment test in early 2018. As noted, InSight’s design is heavily based on the successful 2008 Phoenix lander, but what sets it apart from the other relatives in its technological family? space agency has only failed once, and that was nearly 20 years ago in 1999 (with the loss of the Mars Polar Lander which was similar in design to both the Mars Phoenix Lander and Mars InSight). Of the eight landing attempts since 1976 (half of which have included rovers), the U.S. When it comes to safely touching down on the surface of the Red Planet, NASA pretty much has the market cornered. ![]() When launched, it will become the first interplanetary mission launched from the U.S. If everything goes as planned, NASA’s Mars InSight lander, which was built by Lockheed Martin Space based out of Denver, Colorado, will be ferried to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in prepar. ![]() The two probes are very similar in design, but what does InSight have that Phoenix didn’t? Now InSight, which is based on the Phoenix lander, is being prepped for flight. In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander touched down in the Red Planet’s polar region. Image & Caption Credit: NASA /JPL-Caltech This artist’s concept from August 2015 depicts NASA’s InSight Mars lander fully deployed for studying the deep interior of Mars.
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