The space agency decided Monday to launch a relatively low-cost robotic lander in 2016 to check out what makes the Martian core so different from Earth's. NASA's Discovery program picked a project called Insight over missions to a Saturn moon and a comet, drawing complaints from scientists who study other places in our solar system that NASA is too focused on Mars. All three proposed missions were good, but the Mars one showed the best chance of making it within budget and on schedule, said NASA sciences chief John Grunsfeld. The missions cost no more than $425 million.
NASA's latest Mars flight is designed to explore the core of the planet and gather new information about its composition and structure. This can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of Mars.
NASA's latest Mars flight, called InSight, will use a lander equipped with a seismometer, heat flow probe, and other instruments to study the planet's interior. The seismometer will listen for "marsquakes" and the heat flow probe will measure how much heat is escaping from the planet's core.
The InSight mission is currently scheduled to launch in May 2018. However, this date may change depending on the readiness of the spacecraft and other factors.
By exploring the core of Mars, NASA hopes to gain a better understanding of how rocky planets form and evolve. This information could also help us to better understand Earth's own history and geology. Additionally, the mission may reveal new insights into the potential habitability of Mars.
The InSight mission is expected to last for approximately two years, with the lander collecting data and transmitting it back to Earth during this time. However, it is possible that the mission could be extended if the spacecraft remains in good working condition and there is still valuable information to be gathered.