{"id":17176,"date":"2018-11-30T10:59:13","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T15:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17176"},"modified":"2018-11-30T10:59:13","modified_gmt":"2018-11-30T15:59:13","slug":"mars-insight-deploys-solar-arrays-cliffs-expose-ice-layers-successful-deep-space-cubesat-demo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17176","title":{"rendered":"Mars: Insight deploys solar arrays + Cliffs expose ice layers + Successful deep space CubeSat demo"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA’s Insight lander<\/a>, which arrived on Mars on Monday, is moving quickly towards operational status<\/a>. The solar panels have been deployed and in the<\/p>\n

… coming days, the mission team will unstow InSight’s robotic arm and use the attached camera to snap photos of the ground so that engineers can decide where to place the spacecraft’s scientific instruments. It will take two to three months before those instruments are fully deployed and sending back data.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the meantime, InSight will use its weather sensors and magnetometer to take readings from its landing site at Elysium Planitia \u2014 its new home on Mars.<\/em><\/p>\n

More at InSight Is Catching Rays on Mars – NASA JPL<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
“The Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC), located on the robotic arm of NASA’s InSight lander, took this picture of the Martian surface on Nov. 26, 2018, the same day the spacecraft touched down on the Red Planet. The camera’s transparent dust cover is still on in this image, to prevent particulates kicked up during landing from settling on the camera’s lens. This image was relayed from InSight to Earth via NASA’s Odyssey spacecraft, currently orbiting Mars.” Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech. Full image and caption<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

===<\/p>\n

Here’s a report from Bob Zimmerman about the landing: November 27, 2018 Zimmerman\/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black<\/a> –<\/p>\n