{"id":13110,"date":"2019-07-02T23:45:26","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T15:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/mars-landers-ground-team-begins-inspection-of-stuck-instrument\/"},"modified":"2019-07-02T23:45:26","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T15:45:26","slug":"mars-landers-ground-team-begins-inspection-of-stuck-instrument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/mars-landers-ground-team-begins-inspection-of-stuck-instrument\/","title":{"rendered":"Mars lander\u2019s ground team begins inspection of stuck instrument"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_39332\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39332\" style=\"width: 678px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39332 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/D000M0210_615162670EDR_F0000_0817M_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"678\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/D000M0210_615162670EDR_F0000_0817M_.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/D000M0210_615162670EDR_F0000_0817M_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/D000M0210_615162670EDR_F0000_0817M_-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39332\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The InSight lander\u2019s robotic arm camera captured this view of the stuck mole from the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument June 30, soon after the arm lifted and moved the instrument\u2019s support structure. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a bit of interplanetary troubleshooting, the robot arm on NASA\u2019s InSight Mars lander has lifted a support structure to reveal an underground thermal probe that got stuck soon after it started hammering into the Red Planet\u2019s surface earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>Operating under long-distance commands from Earth nearly 240 million miles (385 million kilometers) away, InSight\u2019s robotic arm completed the three-step procedure to raise the support apparatus and relocate it to a new location about 8 inches (20 centimeters) closer to the stationary lander.<\/p>\n<p>The relocation revealed the mole from the mission\u2019s German-built&nbsp;Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, or HP3 instrument, which has been unable to dig into Mars since Feb. 28. The device stalled within minutes after beginning to burrow to a planned depth of 16 feet (5 feet) beneath the Martian surface, deeper than any probe has dug into the Martian crust.<\/p>\n<p>Engineers decided to halt the digging to assess the mole\u2019s condition, and develop a strategy for freeing the device.<\/p>\n<p>The metallic spike only made it about a foot (30 centimeters) into the soil, and the rear of the 1.3-foot (40-centimeter) mole is still sticking out of the hole it started digging in February.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve completed the first step in our plan to save the mole\u201d said Troy Hudson of a scientist and engineer with the InSight mission at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. \u201cWe\u2019re not done yet. But for the moment, the entire team is elated because we\u2019re that much closer to getting the mole moving again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1145815416704385024&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2019%2F07%2F02%2Fmars-landers-ground-team-begins-inspection-of-stuck-instrument%2F&amp;sessionId=bcea1eb9649db27387a420be7b6d3f5f9d58924d&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1145815416704385024\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>A series of images taken by InSight\u2019s cameras showed a pit around the circumference of the mole, evidence that supports the leading hypothesis for the reason the instrument got stuck in February.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI along with others from the team were a bit shocked when we saw how large the pit actually is,\u201d wrote Tilman Spohn, the HP3 instrument lead at DLR, the German space agency. \u201cIts diameter is about two times the diameter of the mole.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>German engineers believe&nbsp;the Martian soil at InSight\u2019s landing site is not offering enough friction, or resistance, to prevent the mole from recoiling with each hammer stroke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe images coming back from Mars confirm what we\u2019ve seen in our testing here on Earth,\u201d Mattias Grott, HP3 project scientist at DLR. \u201cOur calculations were correct: This cohesive soil is compacting into walls as the mole hammers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37777\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37777\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-37777\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/mars.nasa_.gov_insight-raw-images_surface_sol_0122_idc_D028R0122_607337988EDR_F0103_0100M_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/mars.nasa_.gov_insight-raw-images_surface_sol_0122_idc_D028R0122_607337988EDR_F0103_0100M_.jpg 900w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/mars.nasa_.gov_insight-raw-images_surface_sol_0122_idc_D028R0122_607337988EDR_F0103_0100M_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/mars.nasa_.gov_insight-raw-images_surface_sol_0122_idc_D028R0122_607337988EDR_F0103_0100M_-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/mars.nasa_.gov_insight-raw-images_surface_sol_0122_idc_D028R0122_607337988EDR_F0103_0100M_-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/mars.nasa_.gov_insight-raw-images_surface_sol_0122_idc_D028R0122_607337988EDR_F0103_0100M_-678x678.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37777\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of InSight\u2019s two fan-shaped solar panels is visible in this image taken March 31. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The operation to lift the support structure was risky. The robotic arm transferred the HP3 instrument from InSight\u2019s payload deck onto the Martian surface after the mission\u2019s landing last year, but mission planners never intended the arm to pick up part of the instrument once it was on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>The robotic arm grappled the support structure in mid-June and lifted it in three carefully-choreographed steps to ensure the the arm did not pull the mole out of the ground. If the mole comes out of its hole, officials say the instrument can\u2019t be saved.<\/p>\n<p>A ribbon-like tether trails behind the mole, through the support structure, and back to the InSight lander. The umbilical routes power to the instrument, and allows data from temperature sensors on the mole and tether to flow back to the lander for transmission back to Earth.<\/p>\n<p>Engineers also opted for a deliberate approach to lifting the support structure to minimize the risk of damaging the tether.<\/p>\n<p>InSight\u2019s ground team will collect more images of the mole in the coming days before pressing ahead with the next step in saving the mole. Engineers will most likely command the lander\u2019s robotic arm to press on the soil around the mole to fill in the pit, providing the necessary friction for the instrument to resume digging.<\/p>\n<p>There is still a chance that the mole hit a rock.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the mole is designed to push small rocks out of the way or deflect around them, larger ones will prevent the spike\u2019s forward progress,\u201d NASA said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Mission planners selected InSight\u2019s landing site on a broad flat plain near the Martian equator to minimize the chances of encountering a rock obstruction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe robotic arm\u2019s grapple isn\u2019t designed to lift the mole once it\u2019s out of its support structure, so it won\u2019t be able to relocate the mole if a rock is blocking it,\u201d NASA said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37778\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37778\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-37778\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web-678x509.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web-326x245.jpg 326w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/22298_PIA23045_web-80x60.jpg 80w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37778\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diagram shows the parts of the HP3 instrument carried to Mars by the InSight lander. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/DLR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The HP3 instrument is designed to gather data on underground temperatures at varying depths, giving scientists a clearer understanding of the amount of heat escaping the Martian interior. HP3 is one of two geophysics instruments InSight carried to Mars, along with a French-built seismometer, which is working as expected and has already detected multiple marsquakes.<\/p>\n<p>The seismometer recorded its first marsquake April 6, and the instrument registered its largest seismic signal to date May 22, a tremor scientists estimate at magnitude 3.0.<\/p>\n<p>A third major science investigation on the InSight mission is the Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment, or RISE, which uses radio signals passed between the lander and Earth to measure the wobble of Mars\u2019s rotation, giving scientists an idea of the Red Planet\u2019s core size and density.<\/p>\n<p>InSight is the first mission dedicated to studying the interior of Mars, and scientists say the $1 billion project will yield data to help them understand how rocky plants, including Earth, formed and evolved in the ancient solar system more than 4 billion years ago.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The InSight lander\u2019s robotic arm camera captured this view of the stuck mole from the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument June 30, soon after the arm lifted and moved the instrument\u2019s support structure. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech In a bit of interplanetary troubleshooting, the robot arm on NASA\u2019s InSight Mars lander has lifted a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[690,1914,242,455,1916,927,1183,367],"class_list":["post-13110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-cnes","tag-dlr","tag-france","tag-germany","tag-hp3","tag-insight","tag-jet-propulsion-laboratory","tag-mars"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13110\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}