InSight
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| InSight | |
|---|---|
 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lockheed Martin · Attribution · source | |
| Name | InSight |
| Mission type | Planetary science |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-024A |
| SATCAT | 43274 |
| Mission duration | Primary: 2 years (Mars surface); Extended: ~2 years (orbital health) |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin, Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 694 kg |
| Launch date | 2018-05-05 |
| Launch rocket | Atlas V 401 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base |
| Launch contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| Landing site | Elysium Planitia, Mars |
| Programme | Discovery Program |
InSight InSight was a NASA planetary science lander designed to study the deep interior of Mars through geophysical investigations. The mission focused on seismic monitoring, heat-flow measurements, and precision tracking to probe planetary formation processes applicable to Earth, Moon, Venus, and terrestrial planets across the Solar System. Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and selected as part of NASA's Discovery Program, the project combined instruments from international partners including CNES, DLR, and the UK Space Agency.
Overview
InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) addressed fundamental questions about the formation and differentiation of terrestrial worlds, the rate of meteorite impacts, and current tectonic activity on Mars. The mission built on heritage from missions such as Viking program, Mars Pathfinder, Phoenix, and Mars Exploration Rovers to extend knowledge of planetary interiors. Principal investigator teams from Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Imperial College London, and Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris collaborated with lead institutions including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Space. The mission's selection process involved comparison with other proposals submitted to the Discovery Program solicitation.
Mission Design and Instruments
The lander architecture derived from previous stationary landers like Phoenix and leveraged entry, descent, and landing systems validated by Mars Science Laboratory. Key science goals required a seismometer, a heat probe, and a radio science experiment. The seismometer, the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, was provided by CNES and developed with contributions from IPGP and Imperial College London; it measured seismic waves produced by marsquakes and impact events. The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, supplied by DLR, included a self-penetrating mole to measure geothermal gradient. The Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment used X-band Doppler tracking via the Deep Space Network to determine wobble and moment of inertia, with contributions from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UK partners. Environmental sensors and a robotic arm supported instrument deployment, while the lander bus housed communications, power, and thermal control systems developed by Lockheed Martin.
Launch, Cruise, and Landing
InSight launched on an Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 5 May 2018, marking the first interplanetary launch from that facility and involving contractor United Launch Alliance. The cruise phase included trajectory correction maneuvers monitored by the Deep Space Network and instruments checked out in transit. Entry, descent, and landing used a heatshield, parachute, and retropropulsion similar to systems tested on Mars Science Laboratory; atmospheric entry was guided using data from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey relay assets. The lander touched down on Elysium Planitia, a flat plain near the equator of Mars, chosen after site selection studies involving NASA and international science teams for safe deployment and thermal measurement suitability.
Surface Operations and Findings
After landing, the lander deployed its robotic arm to place the seismometer and heat probe directly onto the Martian surface, operations coordinated by teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CNES, and DLR. The seismometer required leveling and was shielded by a wind and thermal shield to reduce noise from atmospheric turbulence measured by regional meteorology instruments similar to sensors flown on Phoenix. The heat-flow probe attempted to burrow using a mole mechanism but encountered unexpected regolith mechanics, prompting engineering analyses by DLR and JPL teams. Seismic data revealed frequent low-magnitude events and several larger marsquakes, while impact detection relied on timing and cross-correlation with imaging from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and impact crater surveys tied to observers at Caltech and other institutions.
Science Results and Discoveries
InSight produced the first comprehensive seismic catalog for Mars, enabling models of crustal thickness, mantle structure, and core size. Analyses combining seismology, heat-flow attempts, and rotational tracking constrained the radius and state of the Martian core, favoring a liquid, iron‑sulfur composition similar in some respects to models of the Moon and Earth early differentiation. The mission detected seismic waveforms indicating layered crustal structure and localized tectonic activity, advancing comparisons with results from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter studies and terrestrial seismology from USGS networks. InSight also documented atmospheric phenomena, dust devil events, and meteoroid impacts, linking surface seismic signals to observations by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and ground-based telescopic campaigns coordinated with teams at European Southern Observatory and Palomar Observatory.
End of Mission and Legacy
Operational lifespan was influenced by the decreasing efficiency of solar arrays due to dust accumulation, echoing issues experienced by Opportunity and other Mars missions. After extended surface science and years of data return, mission operations transitioned toward final data archiving and science synthesis led by NASA, CNES, and partner institutions. InSight's legacy includes improved constraints on planetary formation theories relevant to Mercury, Venus, and exoplanet interior studies supported by facilities like NASA Exoplanet Science Institute and theoretical work from Cambridge University and MIT. Instruments and engineering lessons informed future missions such as proposed seismic networks for Mars and concepts for missions to Europa and Titan, while InSight datasets continue to support cross-disciplinary research across participating institutions and observatories.