Mars InSight in Photos: NASA's Mission to Probe Core of the Red Planet

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Testing Mars Insight's Robotic Arm

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Engineers test the robotic arm on NASA's Insight Mars lander, which is scheduled to launch toward the Red Planet in March 2016.

InSight Propulsion Test

Lockheed Martin

Technicians perform propulsion proof and leak testing on NASA's InSight Mars lander in October 2014.

Stu Spath, InSight Program Manager

Lockheed Martin

Stu Spath, InSight program manager at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, near the back shell for the Mars-bound Interior exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft.

Spacecraft Unveiled

Bill Ingalls/NASA

The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, also known as InSight, rests securely atop the Atlas-V rocket at SLC-3 as the mobile service tower rolls away. The craft will launch in the near future to begin its mission to study the crust, mantle and core of Mars.

A Bit of History

Bill Ingalls/NASA

Lori Glaze, NASA Headquarters acting director of the Planetary Science Division, discusses missions to Mars over the years. The Mars InSight lander will study the deep interior of the Red Planet using a seismometer and a probe to monitor heat flow in the subsurface, among other instruments.

JPL/NASA

InSight mission logo.

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
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