Tag Archives: MarCO

MarCO wins the ‘Oscar’ for tiny spacecraft

Posted on August 9, 2019 by rburnham

The first briefcase-size CubeSats to journey to another planet have been honored for their role in NASA InSight’s successful Mars landing. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) bestowed their Small Satellite Mission of the Year award to Mars … Continue reading →

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Beyond Mars, the mini MarCO spacecraft fall silent

Posted on February 5, 2019 by rburnham

Before the pair of briefcase-sized spacecraft known collectively as MarCO launched last year, their success was measured by survival: If they were able to operate in deep space at all, they would be pushing the limits of experimental technology. Now … Continue reading →

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Task done, InSight’s MarCO says Farewell to Mars

Posted on November 27, 2018 by rburnham

[Ed. note: For more on this image and the role played by the MarCO CubeSats, see here.] MarCO-B, one of the experimental Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats, took this image of Mars from about 4,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) away during … Continue reading →

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InSight: First photo of Elysium Planitia

Posted on November 26, 2018 by rburnham

Elysium Planitia, as seen through a dust-spattered dust cover. Click the image to enlarge it. NASA’s InSight Mars lander acquired this image of the area in front of the lander using its lander-mounted, Instrument Context Camera (ICC). This image was … Continue reading →

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InSight: Successful landing!

Posted on November 26, 2018 by rburnham

InSight is down on the ground on Elysium Planitia.  More here.

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InSight: Landing preview

Posted on November 26, 2018 by rburnham

[Originally broadcast November 25, 2018]

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InSight’s timeline to touchdown

Posted on November 23, 2018 by rburnham

On Nov. 26, NASA’s InSight spacecraft will blaze through the Martian atmosphere and attempt to set a lander gently on the surface of the Red Planet in less time than it takes to hard-boil an egg. InSight’s entry, descent and … Continue reading →

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InSight: Science and engineering of a Mars lander

Posted on November 22, 2018 by rburnham

Prior to landing on the Red Planet, NASA discusses the engineering that went into the InSight lander. Launched on May 5, InSight marks NASA’s first Mars landing since the Curiosity rover in 2012. The landing will kick off a two-year … Continue reading →

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InSight: On course toward landing

Posted on November 21, 2018 by rburnham

NASA’s Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft is on track for a soft touchdown on the surface of the Red Planet on Nov. 26, the Monday after Thanksgiving. But it’s not going to be … Continue reading →

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InSight: What’s the sound of a Mars touchdown?

Posted on November 16, 2018 by rburnham

What’s the sound of a touchdown on Mars? If you’re at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it sounds like winning the Super Bowl: cheers, laughter and lots of hollering. But in the minutes before that, NASA’s InSight team will be monitoring … Continue reading →

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