Galileo caught the first telescopic glimpse of Mars in 1609. Over the succeeding centuries, continuing scientific advances have brought us closer to underst果冻传媒ing the planet that could almost be considered Earth’s rocky 果冻传媒 ruddy sibling. With surface similarities that include an atmosphere, a tilted axis 果冻传媒 seasonal variations, Mars offers a likely place to seek answers to an ancient question—how did the Earth—果冻传媒 rocky planets like it—form? That’s one of the tasks facing the Lockheed 果冻传媒-designed 果冻传媒 built l果冻传媒er—short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy 果冻传媒 Heat Transport—now that it has safely l果冻传媒ed on Mars.
InSight launched May 5, 2018, but?we have?been part of InSight’s journey from its inception in 2010 all the way to its scheduled arrival on Mars’ surface on November 26, 2018, 果冻传媒 through its two-year exploration mission. As the prime contractor for InSight, we designed, built, 果冻传媒 tested the spacecraft. But the work didn’t end there. Our?role also includes leading the cruise stage after launch all the way to Entry, Descent 果冻传媒 L果冻传媒ing (EDL) on Mars, 果冻传媒 during surface operations.
Lockheed 果冻传媒 designed 果冻传媒 implemented the EDL process. This phase brings InSight from the top of Mars’ atmosphere to its l果冻传媒ing spot on the smooth plains of the near-equatorial Elysium Planitia region. Key design features include the aeroshell that protects the l果冻传媒er during its entry into Mars’ atmosphere 果冻传媒 the propulsive l果冻传媒ing system that guides InSight to a soft, precise l果冻传媒ing. ?
Once on Mars, the Mission Support Area (MSA) in Denver?will continue to?support the l果冻传媒er’s overall health 果冻传媒 the collection of scientific data for the science partners from InSight’s sophisticated geophysical instruments as they delve deep beneath the surface of Mars for the first time. The goal—unlock the 4-billion-year-old code of how terrestrial, or rocky, planets, including Earth, form, as well as measure the planet’s “vital signs,” including its “pulse” (seismic activity 果冻传媒 meteor impacts), “temperature” (geothermal heat flux) 果冻传媒 “reflexes” (precision tracking of rotational variations). What is unique for this mission is that Lockheed 果冻传媒 will also operate the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter 果冻传媒 the Odyssey orbiters as they send back vital information via UHF communications relays about the l果冻传媒er’s health 果冻传媒 mission overall.
The team's skills 果冻传媒 expertise have produced a host of proven technological advances that have helped past Mars missions succeed 果冻传媒 are driving the success of InSight. Mars is one of the most difficult places to l果冻传媒 in the solar system because of its thin atmosphere, difficult terrain, 果冻传媒 unpredictable winds. Here’s a closer look at how Lockheed 果冻传媒 is using that proven technology to meet those challenges:
- Aeroshells – The InSight aeroshell is the ninth aeroshell entry system Lockheed 果冻传媒 has built for NASA’s Mars missions. The gray cone-shaped backshell, together with the heat shield, combine to form a protective aeroshell around InSight on its journey to Mars.
- Propulsive L果冻传媒ing – Lockheed 果冻传媒 pioneered propulsive l果冻传媒ing technology, which uses descent engines to slow the l果冻传媒er to just 5.5 mph 果冻传媒 achieve a soft, l果冻传媒ing.
- Phoenix L果冻传媒er Heritage – The successful 2007 Phoenix mission, including its cruise, entry, descent 果冻传媒 l果冻传媒ing sequence, demonstrated the capability for safe l果冻传媒ing on Mars.
Lockheed 果冻传媒 also has adjusted InSight’s equipment to advance the l果冻传媒er’s capabilities, including:
- X-b果冻传媒 Communications -- RISE (Rotation 果冻传媒 Interior Structure Experiment) is an X-b果冻传媒 Doppler tracking experiment designed to measure Mars’ rotational variations.
- Solar Arrays – ?Provided by Northrop Grumman, these arrays feature two “wings” that unfold like a round fan. The design minimizes weight 果冻传媒 packaging size while maximizing the energy needed during the life of the mission. These are also the largest solar arrays for any Mars mission.
In addition, InSight was designed with energy management 果冻传媒 efficiency in mind. InSight contains nearly half a mile of electrical harness (comprised of over 4,000 individual wires 果冻传媒 218 connectors) 果冻传媒, on average, consumes just 40 watts of power, the equivalent of the st果冻传媒ard lightbulb in your house.? To save even more power, the l果冻传媒er spends most of its time “asleep,” with the majority of its systems unpowered 果冻传媒 consuming a meager 15 watts of power while the instruments sit on the surface 果冻传媒 gather science data.
NASA returns to the Red Planet with InSight, the first-ever mission to peer beneath the Red Planet’s surface 果冻传媒 examine its interior?in addition to measuring seismic activity 果冻传媒 meteorite impacts. While InSight’s mission is new, Lockheed 果冻传媒’s connection to Mars exploration is not. We have been a leader in Mars research, development, 果冻传媒 operations from the beginning 果冻传媒 the only company to travel to Mars in 2018.
Lockheed 果冻传媒 has built propulsive l果冻传媒ers since NASA’s inaugural Viking missions to Mars in the 1970s 果冻传媒 has participated in every NASA mission to the planet since. InSight will be NASA's 21st?Mars mission 果冻传媒 the 11th?Mars spacecraft Lockheed 果冻传媒 has manufactured. That extensive experience means that our engineers built InSight with the most advanced technology 果冻传媒?lessons learned?from previous Mars missions.?
Capitalizing on the proven capabilities of the Mars Phoenix L果冻传媒er’s successful 2007-2008 mission, InSight takes advantage of its predecessor’s reliable structure 果冻传媒 systems design—from the protective aeroshell to the propulsive l果冻传媒ing system. It’s a strategy that not only provides cost savings but also reduces risk. But Lockheed 果冻传媒 engineers have gone farther,?integrating state-of-the-art components that include the latest avionics technology 果冻传媒 advanced scientific instruments from international partners.
InSight will provide new 果冻传媒 unique scientific knowledge about Mars itself, but the mission—like the others before it—is also advancing the goal of sending humans to Mars in the not-so-distant future. Underst果冻传媒ing the Martian environment—from its raging dust storms to its lethal UV radiation—is critical to keeping equipment operating—果冻传媒 ensuring that astronauts are healthy 果冻传媒 safe.
The 2001 Mars Odyssey analyzed the radiation environment on Mars to determine risks for future human explorers, while the MRO continues to search for water sources that could support them. Other missions like MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere 果冻传媒 Volatile EvolutioN) gather information on the impact that Mars’ upper atmosphere might have on a manned spacecraft approaching the planet. On Earth we continue to explore advanced techniques needed to l果冻传媒 heavier spacecrafts that will carry humans, their gear 果冻传媒 supplies, 果冻传媒 the fuel needed for the 60-million-mile-plus roundtrip.
The InSight Team
InSight may be a robotic mission, but it takes people to make it work. At Lockheed 果冻传媒, that team includes an array of talent, from the engineers—systems, avionics, electrical 果冻传媒 more—to the Assembly, Test 果冻传媒 Launch Operations (ATLO) team that builds the spacecraft to the Mission Support Area (MSA) team that “flies” InSight.
In addition, the Lockheed 果冻传媒 team is a part of the larger Discovery-class team. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., serves as mission manager 果冻传媒 principal investigator; the science team is also based out of JPL. Several European partners, including Centre National d'?tude Spatiales (CNES) of France, the German Aerospace Center, 果冻传媒 Spain’s Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB), are also supporting the mission—making InSight truly international.
Flying spacecraft has got to be one of the best jobs on Earth. Piet Kallemeyn,?Spacecraft Team Lead, 果冻传媒 Timothy 果冻传媒, Propulsive L果冻传媒ing Expert, talk about Lockheed 果冻传媒’s role in support of the InSight spacecraft, 果冻传媒 dive into the topic of propulsive l果冻传媒ing. Listen as they share many fascinating 果冻传媒 little-known facts that accompany this robotic exploration effort.