There are some happy ones Stubborn Mars Insight’s heat probe into news from the Red Planet, known as “standardization”, is now completely buried. This is an exciting development, as the surrounding dirt can lead the device into deep drilling in the Martian crust.
The ongoing saga of Insight lander Heat flow and physical characteristics package Has taken a significant turn, or at least we expect. The self-hammering drill, developed by the German Space Agency (DLR) and operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is now completely obscured by Red Martian dirt – indicating that it will soon be an accurate excavation. May be able to Friction is required to move downwards. Up to this point, it has been bouncing mostly like above Useless pogo stick.
The purpose of standardization, as cold kids call it, is to study the temperature under the marstin’s crust, At a maximum depth of 10 feet (3 m). But the device proved to be the most disappointing aspect of Insight’s mission, which began in November 2018 when the lander reached Elysium Planetia. U.S.Recently, 16 inches tall (40-Centimeters) check up Can barely clean the surface, and at a particularly painful point – about a year ago at this time – Mars canceled the drill, Spitting It back out on the surface.
Now, it’s not sesame that’s not allied, but Martian dirt. The self-hammering action of the molecule is causing the dirt to collect and taste, creating cracks around the equipment instead of around it. Unfortunately, NASA can’t lift the standardization abnormally and try to dig elsewhere: no one in the investigation “Grapple Point” Which can be understood by Insight’s robotic arm.
Starting last year, Mission planners were used to prevent standardization by moving in the opposite direction Scoop of Insight To try Pin the probe to the bottom of the pit and place it in the ground. It worked for a while, but in July NASA struck a chord when the molecular stops landing. Team blames drycrust – a cement-like compound in which grains are fixedCK together for the obstacle. NASA hit the pause button at this point because the Insight arm was needed for other tasks, but it’s now back to the details of the standardization.
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As NASA reports, the standardization is now completely buried in Martian Regulith and Out of sight. All that is visible now is a ribbon cable sticking out of the ground (the cable is loaded with temperature sensors designed to measure the heat flux below the surface).
In a NASA statement, JPL engineer Troy Hudson, who is leading the effort, said: Deepened, ”said Troy Hudson, a GAPL engineer who is leading the effort.
Hey, he said, “Sudden ‘pop-out’ event, not me.” I’m just a messenger.
Any, the next step would be for the arm, with the scoop in its hand, to put more dirt on the top and Pack it well and tight. NASA says it will take months, and it won’t be hammers.The investigation period is until early 2021. Hudson wants to make sure that “there is enough dust on the standardization to be able to dig on its own without any assistance.”
Sounds like an Insight team But important Work ahead of them. There is encouraging news that the investigation is now completely buried, but there is still no guarantee that NASA’s strategy will work. As mentioned, the team seems to be dealing with less ideal dirt, and the hammering action may continue to create pockets inside the hole, resulting in less friction. Let’s hope I’m wrong, and that we’ll soon see some in-depth red planet temperature readings.
