Mission name: InSight
Target(s): The target of the InSight mission is to place a lander on Mars that would drill below the surface of Mars to investigate its interior structure. This mission is designed to get a better understanding of Mars' evolution. One of InSight’s main targets is to answer the question “How did the terrestrial planets form?”
Proposed launch year: May 5, 2018
MISSION SUMMARY (350-400 words)
InSight stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. It is a NASA Discovery Program mission that will place a lander on Mars to get a better understanding of Mars’ interior. (Erickson & Green)1 InSight is not only a mission …show more content…
The SEIS will capture Mars’ seismology and its internal activity. It will take measurements of the quakes of Mars as well as any other internal motion of planet Mars. (Erickson & Green) 1 The HP3 would take Mars’ temperature. This would be important for understanding the planetary evolution of Mars. InSight would also use a variety of different cameras that would give a 3D view of the ground of Mars. (Erickson & Green)1 Lastly, InSight would use RISE which is a device that would track Mars’ reflexes to the suns’ gravity. It would give precise measurements of how Mars wobbles in relation to its gravitational pull to the sun. (Erickson & Green)1
As stated on the NASA website InSight is scheduled for launch on May 2018 and is to arrive on Mars sometime November 2018. InSight will rely on proven technologies previously used on NASA's Mars Phoenix mission. The lander will travel on the Martian surface for two years investigating and analyzing the deep interior of Mars. (Erickson & Green)1
The initial budget for the InSight mission was $675 million. There were some delays in the mission because for instrument redesign. This delay added an additional $153.8 million dollars to the cost of this mission. (Webster