9/13/2023 0 Comments Insight nasa meaning![]() “Many teams from across the globe have worked long hours to get their elements of the system delivered for these tests. “It’s great to see the spacecraft put together in its launch configuration,” said InSight Project Manager Tom Hoffman at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California. This phase takes nearly as long as assembly, but we want to make sure we deliver a vehicle to NASA that will perform as expected in extreme environments.” InSight will help scientists study the interior of Mars in detail for the first time. The environmental testing regimen is designed to wring out any issues with the spacecraft so we can resolve them while it’s here on Earth. The final test is a second thermal vacuum test in which the spacecraft is exposed to the temperatures and atmospheric pressures it will experience on the Martian surface.Īccording to Stu Spath, InSight program manager at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, “The assembly of InSight went very well and now it’s time to see how it performs. Other tests include vibrations to simulate the launch of the spacecraft, separation and deployment shock and looking for any electronic interference between various parts of the spacecraft. A thermal vacuum test in the spacecraft’s “cruise” configuration, which will be used during its seven-month journey to Mars, is the first test. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lockheed MartinĪs part of the environmental testing phase at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems facility near Denver, InSight will be exposed to extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions and other tests over the next seven months. “Together, humans and robotics will pioneer Mars and the Solar System.” Testing of the solar arrays on the InSight lander at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver. “Today, our robotic scientific explorers are paving the way, making great progress on the journey to Mars,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. The lander has now been assembled and is undergoing rigorous testing, which is required to show that the lander can survive the six-month journey to Mars as well as the harsh surface conditions on the planet itself. InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) will be a stationary lander instead of a rover, like the previous Mars Phoenix Lander, but it will help scientists understand how Mars, and other rocky planets like Earth, evolved geologically over time. It will be the first mission devoted to studying the interior of the Red Planet, providing a unique and necessary addition to the Mars exploration program overall. While Curiosity and Opportunity are still busy roving Mars, NASA has begun testing its next lander, InSight, scheduled to launch in March 2016. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lockheed Martin Elysium Planitia is perfect.Testing of the solar arrays on the InSight lander at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver. The beauty of this mission is happening below the surface. "While I'm looking forward to those first images from the surface, I am even more eager to see the first data sets revealing what is happening deep below our landing pads. "If you were a Martian coming to explore Earth's interior like we are exploring Mars's interior, it wouldn't matter if you put down in the middle of Kansas or the beaches of Oahu," Bruce Banerdt, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. This is an area with little in the way of geological features-there are no volcanoes, canyons or mountains, as previous rovers have explored. The site chosen for InSight is called Elysium Planitia. The spacecraft will then send out two signals-one to say it has landed then another to confirm it was a successful touchdown. It will deploy a parachute to soften its landing. This means there will be some delay between what is happening on the Red Planet and what we see on Earth.Īs InSight descends into the Martian atmosphere, it will send radio signals to give an indication of its position. NASA/JPL-Caltechĭuring the landing, signals from InSight will take time to travel the 91 million miles back to Earth. An artist illustration of the InSight lander on Mars.
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