NASA scientists hope for clues about Mars interior as space probe prepares to launch
THE NASA scientist heading up a pioneering space probe to Mars which will look deep beneath the surface is hoping it will will allow him to build up a complex picture of the red planet’s interior.
NASA's InSight mission to study the deep interior of Mars
He told Express.co.uk: “This will be the first mission to probe the depths of Mars and map out the detailed structure of its interior.”
One of the key aims of the mission is to measure the levels of geological activity, and specifically seismic disturbances he called “marsquakes”.
He added: “For InSight, marsquakes will act like flashbulbs that will allow us to “see” what is inside Mars.
InSight will drill deep into the Martian soil
“Each marsquake will send vibrations, or waves, travelling through the planet.
“These waves are modified by the material they pass through, so when we record them with our seismometer we can decode this information and start to put together a 3-D picture of the inside of Mars.”
Mr Banerdt said even though Mars was considerably less geologically active than the Earth, it was a great deal more so than the Moon.
He said: “InSight’s measurements will help establish exactly how active the planet is, and together with the determination of the interior structure we will be able to better estimate its history of activity.”
Principal investigator Bruce Banerdt gives a pre-launch briefing
It could also offer clues about how much water is locked away in the planet’s crust, Mr Banerdt said.
He explained: “We will get information about the general chemistry of rocks in the deep crust and mantle, which will tell us something about the amount of water contained in these rocks in trace amounts.
“We won’t be determining mineralogy directly, like some of the Rover experiments.”
Nevertheless, those eager for answers will need to be patient.
Knowing more about the interior of Mars may offer clues about Earth's formation
InSight will tells us more about seismic activity, or marsquakes
Mr Banerdt said: “Our very first science data will probably start coming back after Christmas of this year, but it will probably take several more months before the instruments are completely tuned to Mars conditions and returning the highest quality data.”
In common with all missions to Mars, there are no guarantees, with only about 40 percent of all missions to Mars being successful.
But assuming it gets there intact, a NASA spokesman said InSight will look to drill down into the planet’s interior and take the “vital signs” of Mars – its pulse (seismology), temperature (heat flow), and its reflexes (radio science).
He added: “It will be the first thorough check-up since the planet formed 4.5 billion years ago.
NASA to launch InSight to study subsurface and interior of Mars
“Studying Mars lets us travel to the ancient past. While Earth and Venus have tectonic systems that have destroyed most of the evidence of their early history, much of the Red Planet has remained static for more than 3 billion years.
“Because Mars is just one-third the size of Earth and Venus, it contains less energy to power the processes that change a planet's structure.
“That makes it a fossil planet in many ways, with the secrets of our solar system's early history locked deep inside.”