Mars inSight Mission

[funkyrobot]

Me too. 16 minutes to go until we have live coverage apparently.

[Smiljan]

Thanks chaps, I'd forgotten about this. Watching now until the landing

[funkyrobot]

20 minutes until stage separation.

[MartG]

Both MARCOs have acquired signal after sep of the cruise stage

[funkyrobot]

Here she goes. Entry underway.

[Beati Dogu]

The target landing area is 2,655 meters below the mean Martian surface level. This gives them more atmosphere to use for aerobraking with the heatshield and parachute and is one of the reasons they chose it.

[Beati Dogu]

We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again.

[Caruso]

Phew that was nail biting.

[funkyrobot]

Yessssssss!

[andy_s]

Lovely job.

[MartG]

1st pic downloaded

[Beati Dogu]

It'll start deploying its Solar panels 16 minutes after landing. In order to give the dust time to settle.

[Smiljan]

1st image!

[RizzoTheRat]

The last 17 metres were pretty tense. Amazing to get a picture back that quickly.

[Beati Dogu]

I imagine they'll have some more info by the time of the press conference.

[Eric Mc]

I have great confidence in JPL managed missions. They really do know what they are doing.

[Toaster]

Eric Mc said:

I have great confidence in JPL managed missions. They really do know what they are doing.

I think we all have confidence in JPL they are after all the experts what a great job they do

[Eric Mc]

Agreed. They have a great track record - although their earliest attempts at space probes were not that successful. At one point NASA was seriously considering giving up on them. How times changed.

[EddieSteadyGo]

Does anyone know when the first experiment will begin?

[Beati Dogu]

They'll slowly roll them out over a 3 month period.

Edit: The seismometer will be first, and then its protective cover. The mole will take a couple of months alone to hammer its way as much as 16 feet deep.


Shout out to the two little satellites that accompanied Insight on its way to Mars. These cereal box size cube satellites were able to record & relay Insight's signal back to earth. They will continue to do so for some time as they wing past the planet.

Edited by Beati Dogu on Tuesday 27th November 00:30