NASA's InSight Lander

               InSight - Studying the 'Inner Space' of Mars

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-078, will launch NASA’s InSight lander to Mars. InSight will touch down in the Elysium Planitia region of Mars in November 2018 to study the Martian interior and search for ongoing seismic activity. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. 

The InSight mission seeks to uncover how a rocky body forms and evolves to become a planet by investigating the interior structure and composition of Mars. The mission will also determine the rate of Martian tectonic activity and meteorite impacts.

The phases of the InSight mission include:

Pre-Launch :  Preparing for the mission includes pre-project planning, science definition and instrument selection, landing site selection, assembly and testing, and delivery of the spacecraft to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Launch :Liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base on an Atlas V-401 rocket is scheduled for May 2018, in the pre-dawn hours. This is the first interplanetary launch from the west coast.

Cruise The time between InSight’s launch and arrival at Mars is called the cruise phase of the mission. This part of the trip takes about six months.

Approach : The approach phase begins about 60 days before landing with a series of checkouts.

Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) :The EDL phase is InSight’s final plunge through the Martian atmosphere. It lasts about six minutes and delivers the lander safely to the surface.

Surface Operation:After a safe landing, InSight deploys its instruments in preparation for surface operations. The lander begins its day-to-day science activities about 30 days into the mission.

Studying Mars' interior structure answers key questions about the early formation of rocky planets in our inner solar system - Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars - more than 4 billion years ago, as well as rocky exoplanets. 

InSight also measures tectonic activity and meteorite impacts on Mars today.