First Instrument on the Surface of Mars!

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Putting SEIS on the Ground – NASA's InSight Mars Lander

On the 19 December, NASA had posted about InSight placing its first instrument on the surface of Mars. Most of my posts in this holidays is about the Summer Learning Journey, so I think that you haven't seen my last InSight post, 'It's First Selfie!'. It is about InSight taking a selfie, it shows the solar panels and deck. The post wasn't that long because of the Summer Learning Journey.

There are new images of the SEIS (seismometer) on the ground. InSight Project Manager Tom Hoffman said, "InSight's timetable of activities on Mars has gone better than we hoped." "Getting the seismometer safely on the ground is an awesome Christmas present."

On the top of the post, there is a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) where there are a set of images which makes an animated video. In the GIF, it shows how InSight places the seismometer on the Martian surface. The image was taken on 19 December, with InSight's Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC), which is on the lander's arm.

On the right, is one of the images in the GIF. This was the first time where a spacecraft robotically placed a seismometer onto the surface of another planet.

I will remind you what is InSight's seismometer. A seismometer which is also called Seismic Explorations for Interior Structure (SEIS), which will measure the seismic waves caused by marsquakes (mars because it is in Mars, not earthquakes because it is on Earth), meteorite strikes and other phenomena. These waves go through Mars' interior and will let scientists know how the planet's crust, mantle and core are layered. Also, it will inform more about how all rocky planets were formed, which includes Earth and its Moon.

The InSight team has been working toward the science instruments in Mars' soil since the landing (26 November).

I hope you like my post about the seismometer placing on Mars. Comment down below if you learnt something new. Have a cool night. Bye!!