Tag Archives: Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales

InSight: Seismometer now has a cozy shelter

Posted on February 4, 2019 by rburnham

For the past several weeks, NASA’s InSight lander has been making adjustments to the seismometer it set on the Martian surface on Dec. 19. Now it’s reached another milestone by placing a domed shield over the seismometer to help the … Continue reading →

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InSight update, Sols 25-42, by Emily Lakdawalla, The Planetary Society

Posted on January 9, 2019 by rburnham

In the weeks since my last update, InSight has methodically worked through most of the long list of activities required to set up its sensitive seismometer experiment, SEIS. Engineers have leveled the seismometer and worked on cable management. Most significantly … Continue reading →

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InSight update, Sols 1-24, by Emily Lakdawalla, The Planetary Society

Posted on December 26, 2018 by rburnham

It’s been a busy first three weeks on the InSight mission, and they’ve already achieved a major milestone: placing the seismometer on the ground. In this post I’ll give a few brief highlights of the latest mission activities, and then … Continue reading →

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InSight: Lander has its SEIS on the ground

Posted on December 21, 2018 by rburnham

Sol 24, December 21, 2018. This view was taken through the dust-spattered lens of the Instrument Context Camera and shows the deployed SEIS seismometer on the ground in front of the lander. Each ICC image has a field of view … Continue reading →

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ESA: Self-driving rovers tested in Mars-like Morocco

Posted on December 20, 2018 by rburnham

Robots invaded the Sahara Desert for Europe’s largest rover field test, taking place in a Mars-like part of Morocco. For two weeks three rovers and more than 40 engineers tested automated navigation systems at up to five different sites. This … Continue reading →

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InSight: Pre-launch briefing videocast

Posted on May 4, 2018 by rburnham

InSight, the first planetary mission to take off from the West Coast, is targeted to launch at 4:05 a.m. PDT (7:05 a.m. EDT) on May 5 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California, aboard a … Continue reading →

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InSight: Tour a Mars robot test lab

Posted on March 8, 2018 by rburnham

NASA’s InSight lander looks a bit like an oversized crane game: when it lands on Mars this November, its robotic arm will be used to grasp and move objects on another planet for the first time. And like any crane … Continue reading →

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InSight cleared for 2018 launch

Posted on September 2, 2016 by rburnham

NASA is moving forward with a spring 2018 launch of its InSight mission to study the deep interior of Mars, following final approval this week by the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat … Continue reading →

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InSight: NASA targets May 2018 launch

Posted on March 9, 2016 by rburnham

NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission to study the deep interior of Mars is targeting a new launch window that begins May 5, 2018, with a Mars landing scheduled for Nov. 26, 2018. InSight’s … Continue reading →

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InSight: 2016 launch cancelled due to problems with the seismometer

Posted on December 22, 2015 by rburnham

Update: NASA press release is here. NASA announced today that a vacuum leak in the French-built seismometer is forcing a cancellation of InSight’s scheduled March 2016 launch. In a statement, NASA said, “After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to … Continue reading →

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