On November 26, 2018, for the first time, a space probe reached the soil of Mars.. It was about the insight missionwhich arose to understand the composition of the subsoil of the Red planet Four years after it landed in Futuro 360, we have made a brief summary of its most outstanding moments.
“I have been lucky enough to live on two planets. Four years ago I arrived safely at the second, to the delight of my family at the first. Thanks to my team for sending me on this journey of discovery,” they said on social networks from the official account of the mission.
I’ve been lucky enough to live on two planets. Four years ago, I arrived safely at the second one, to the delight of my family back on the first. Thanks to my team for sending me on this journey of discovery. Hope I’ve done you proud.
Science highlights: https://t.co/DPS3j7OkEk pic.twitter.com/nnhiTOF0RO
— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) November 26, 2022
The artifact It is running out of battery and without the possibility of charging, due to the thick layer of dust blown by the wind on its solar panels. For this reason, the team has taken steps to continue with the available power.
The next step of the mission will be to store its treasure trove of data and make it accessible to researchers around the world.
The highlights or most outstanding moments of these years
The first earthquake detected on the red planet
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An earthquake on May 4 on the red planet was described as a “monstrous earthquake”. With a magnitude of 5 degrees, the lander NASA’s InSight Mars managed to capture movement underground.
Scientists hope to further study the earthquake records to discern its origin and, above all, what can it tell us about the interior of Marte. In fact, the largest earthquake ever recorded was from a estimated magnitude of 4.2 detected on August 25, 2021.
Learn more about the three main layers of Mars
Illustration of the internal structure of Mars. Credit: IPGP/ David Ducros
Through the information obtained by almost a dozen earthquakes detected on the red planet and captured by the seismometer SEIS of short broadband of the NASA’s Mars InSight missionthe international team managed to reveal its internal structure.
These data also allowed determine the thickness of the crust of Mars. The second study, published in Sciencefocused on this information and indicated that there are different discontinuities in its layer.
Magnetic “ghosts” of an ancient electric field
InSight brought the first magnetometer instrument to the Martian surface, enabling it to detect magnetic signals. In its early history, Mars had electrical currents flowing within its molten metal core as the planet rapidly cooled.
InSight’s magnetometer found that ancient rocks between 200 feet (61 meters) and several miles below ground are strongly magnetized, according to NASA.
New atmospheric data from the red planet
InSight collected the most comprehensive weather data of any mission sent to the surface of Mars. Its sensors have detected thousands of passing dust eddies, but the spacecraft’s cameras have yet to see any of them.
The probe that explores the red planet delivered spectacular postcards. A fast-moving dust “worm” and a gigantic avalanche moving from sand dunes are some of the images with which Mars delighted us.
We also got to see a crater the size of an entire town and a moon that looks like a huge space “potato”. Thus, the images captured by NASA’s Reconnaissance probe, which searches for signs of life on the neighboring planet, reached Earth.