NASA’s InSight lander has recorded the first evidence of earthquake-like tremors on Mars. The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the geological processes at play on another world.
The red planet. It may hold no life, but is it dead?
NASA/JPL
NASA has released a sound recording from Mars. So what do these literally otherworldly sounds tell us about the processes at play inside the red planet?
Artist’s impression of InSight after its scientific instruments have been deployed.
Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech.
NASA’s InSight Mars lander touches down Nov. 26, part of a careful robotic approach to exploring the red planet. But human exploration of Mars will inevitably introduce Earth life. Are you OK with that?
Earth experiences constant volcanic activity - here’s Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatoa) photographed in July 2018.
EPA/AAP
Compared to Earth, more “oomph” is required to bring magma to the surface of Mars, and this is probably why we haven’t seen any recent eruptions on the red planet.
InSight aims to figure out just how tectonically active Mars is, and how often meteorites impact it.
NASA
What is Mars made of? We hear from a scientist who will be part of the team analysing ‘marsquake’ seismic data and orbital imagery from the InSight mission to the red planet.
An artist’s rendition of the InSight lander - which will collect data on what’s inside the planet Mars.
NASA
The InSight Lander mission to Mars is preparing for launch in May 2018. But there are seven (or eight) other planets to explore: why have we such a hang up on Mars?
Coordinator Swinburne Astronomy Online | Program Lead of Microgravity Experimentation, Space Technology and Industry Institute, Swinburne University of Technology