Mars Exploration News  
MARSDAILY
NASA blasts off Mars lander, InSight
by Staff Writers
Vandenberg AFB CA (AFP) May 05, 2018

illustration only

NASA on Saturday blasted off its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface and listen for "Marsquakes" ahead of eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.

"Three, two, one, liftoff!" said a NASA commentator as the spacecraft launched on a dark, foggy morning atop an Atlas V rocket at 4:05 am Pacific time (1105 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking NASA's first interplanetary launch from the US west coast.

The $993 million project aims to expand human knowledge of interior conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send human explorers there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago.

If all goes as planned, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26.

Its name, InSight, is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.

NASA chief scientist Jim Green said experts already know that Mars has quakes, avalanches and meteor strikes.

"But how quake-prone is Mars? That is fundamental information that we need to know as humans that explore Mars," Green said.

- French-made seismometer -
The key instrument on board is a seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, made by the French Space Agency.

After the lander settles on the Martian surface, a robotic arm is supposed to emerge and place the seismometer directly on the ground.

The second main instrument is a self-hammering probe that will monitor the flow of heat in the planet's subsurface.

Called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, it was made by the German Space Agency with the participation of the Polish Space Agency.

The probe will bore down 10 to 16 feet (three to five meters) below the surface, NASA said, 15 times deeper than any previous Mars mission.

Understanding the temperature on Mars is crucial to NASA's efforts to send people there by the 2030's, and how much a human habitat might need to be heated under frigid conditions, said Green.

Daytime summer temperatures near the Martian equator may reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees C), but then plunge by night to -100 F (-73 C).

"It is an important part of knowledge of how this planet is evolving," Green said.

"We have to be able as humans living and working on Mars to survive that."

- Two year mission -
The solar and battery-powered lander is designed to operate for 26 Earth months, or one year on Mars, a period in which it is expected to pick up as many as 100 quakes.

"Hopefully it will last a lot longer than that," said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The spacecraft was initially supposed to launch in 2016 but had to be delayed after temperature tests showed a problem with part of the seismometer, which engineers have since fixed.

InSight aims to be the first NASA spacecraft to land on Mars since the Curiosity rover in 2012.

"There is nothing routine about going to Mars, especially landing on Mars," said Stu Spath, InSight program manager at Lockheed Martin Space.


Related Links
InSight at NASA
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


MARSDAILY
Surviving the Inferno of Entry, Descent and Landing
Hampton VA (SPX) May 04, 2018
Anticipation is building as preparations are well underway for the launch of NASA's next Mars mission, InSight. But before the roar of the rocket lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base has subsided, a NASA team will be hard at work preparing for the lander's eventual plunge through the Martian atmosphere. Experts from NASA's Langley Research Center are key to providing modeling and computer simulations, which will be used by the InSight entry, descent and landing (EDL) team led by NASA's Jet P ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

MARSDAILY
NASA expands plans for Moon exploration

Lunar Orbital Platform Gateway is First Step Towards Mars - ESA Coordinator

US plans own space suits for EVAs instead of Russia's at Lunar Gateway

China has technological basis for manned lunar landing

MARSDAILY
China to launch advanced space cargo transport aircraft in 2019

Astronauts eye more cooperation on China's space station

China unveils underwater astronaut training suit

China's Chang'e-4 relay satellite named "Queqiao"

MARSDAILY
Projectile cannon experiments show how asteroids can deliver water

Lyrid meteor shower to peak over the weekend

Close Call: Giant Asteroid Flies Through the Earth-Moon Orbit

Four Years of NASA NEOWISE Data

MARSDAILY
Fresh results from NASA's Galileo spacecraft 20 years on

What do Uranus's cloud tops have in common with rotten eggs?

Pluto's Largest Moon, Charon, Gets Its First Official Feature Names

Pluto's largest moon, Charon, gets its first official feature names

MARSDAILY
MARSDAILY
CryoSat reveals retreat of Patagonian glaciers

Moon holds key to improving satellite views of Earth

Twin spacecraft to weigh in on Earth's changing water

Earth's magnetic field is not about to reverse

MARSDAILY
Rescue Operations Take Shape for Commercial Crew Program Astronauts

Russia develops space sauna and washing machine

One detector doesn't 'fit all' for smoke in spacecraft

Jim Bridenstine brings understanding of commercial technology to his new role as NASA Admin

MARSDAILY
Helium detected in exoplanet atmosphere for the first time

Hubble detects helium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time

Researchers simulate conditions inside 'super-Earths'

Extreme Environment of Danakil Depression Sheds Light on Mars, Titan









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.