InSight’s mission to Mars

NASA’s robotic Mars lander, InSight, will study the interior structure of the Red Planet to answer questions about the early formation of the inner planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars – 4.5 billion years ago

RISE: Tracks location of lander to determine just how much Martian North Pole wobbles as it orbits Sun

Robotic arm: Lifts instruments onto surface of Mars

HP3: Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe

SEIS: Seismometer takes “pulse” of planet. Measurements of seismic waves, from marsquakes, and meteorite impacts reveal image of planet’s interior

Heat probe: Burrows down almost five metres to take temperature – this reveals how much heat is still flowing out of interior

Crust
Mantle
Iron-rich outer core
Inner core: Data from RISE could determine whether core is liquid or solid
Landing site: Western portion of Elysium Planitia – flat, smooth plain suitable for burrowing

Olympus Mons: Volcano stands 624km in diameter and 25km high
Valles Marineris: 4,000km-long canyon system
Schiaparelli: Impact crater
Acidalia Planitia

MARS LANDINGS
1 Mars 2 (USSR) Crashed 1971
2 Mars 3 (USSR) Failed 1971
3 Mars 6 (USSR) Crashed 1973
4 Viking 1 (U.S.) 1976
5 Sojourner (U.S.) 1997
6 Opportunity (U.S.) 2004
7 Phoenix (U.S.) 2008
8 Schiaparelli EDM (ESA/Russia) Crashed 2016

9 Viking 2 (U.S.) 1976
10 Polar Lander (U.S.) Crashed 1999
11 Deep Space 2 (U.S.) Crashed 1999
12 Beagle 2 (UK) Failed 2003
13 Spirit (U.S.) 2004
14 Curiosity (U.S.) 2012
15 Mars InSight (U.S.) Nov 2018

Sources: NASA, Mars InSight Mission
Pictures: NASA
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