It was looking grim for NASA's Mars InSight mission back at the beginning of October. But now,اÙلام erotice عائلة things seem to have turned around.
The InSight lander had originally been sent to the Red Planet with the goal of drilling some 16 feet into the Martian terrain, to measure heat beneath the surface. But after only 14 inches of progress, there was a problem: the "mole" (aka drill with a built-in heat probe) would go no further.
It got stuck in Feb. 2019 and remained that way until early October, when NASA came up with a new plan. The idea was to use the InSight lander's metal scoop to refill the 14-inch hole and then act as a support for the mole to press up against as it tunneled down.
The whole scheme was based on an assumption that the below-ground hold-up was heavily clumped together soil, rather than rock. The scoop, then, would help guide the mole along by stopping it from bouncing around as it dug deeper. The pressure would be forced downward instead, which NASA hoped would break through the tough stretch of soil.
It seems to have worked, with NASA confirming that the mole is once again on the move. In the week leading to Oct. 17, the mole dug down an additional two centimeters. That might not sound like a lot, but NASA calls the progress "significant."
"Since Oct. 8, 2019, the mole has hammered 220 times over three separate occasions," NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Andrew Good wrote in a post on the agency's website. "Images sent down from the spacecraft's cameras have shown the mole gradually progressing into the ground. It will take more time — and hammering — for the team to see how far the mole can go."
The big takeaway from even this small amount of progress is that the hold-up was indeed tightly packed soil rather than rock, which would have halted the mole completely and likely doomed this aspect of InSight's mission. It's not a total success just yet, but the work is at least moving forward.
The minds at NASA are already working on additional strategies for coaxing an uncooperative mole to start moving again. If progress halts again, one idea involves piling dirt on top of the mole itself, which would have the effect of "adding mass to resist the mole's recoil."
SEE ALSO: NASA created a free 'CGI moon kit' for artistsAnother approach would involve using the scoop to press down on the top of the mole and drive it in further, though that's not without its risks. The mole is connected to the InSight lander by a "sensitive tether," which provides power and moves data.
Of course, any progress on a mission that's been stalled since the start of the year is good news for NASA. We'll just have to wait and see if this small amount of progress translates into useful data.
Instant Pot Duo Plus deal: $69.99 at Amazon
Listen up everyone, this new, beautiful gorilla meme has something to say
'Close Enough' is the millennial show for our surreal times: Review
Cat surprises owner with impressive ninja
Instant Pot Duo Plus deal: $69.99 at Amazon
The new iPhone 12 is going to be late this year
Oops: Etsy decimal point error massively overcharges for shipping
Wilford Brimley, beloved acting fave and star of 'Cocoon,' is dead at 85
Even Trump's Earth Day message was anti
7 of the most hard
Elon Musk told Donald Trump what to do about the Paris Climate Agreement
David and Victoria Beckham watching Ed Sheeran at Glastonbury are absolute couple goals
Here's how much each Big Tech CEO spoke at the House antitrust hearing
This Ethereum flash crash shows how cryptocurrency markets are super risky
NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for January 28: Tips to solve Connections #127
NBA draft no. 1 pick Markelle Fultz could use some work on his paid Instagram post game
Barack Obama reminds us of ever
Boys told not to wear shorts to school, so they showed up in skirts
Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
How a TikTok ban could work, and what it means for your content
When My Parents Got Their Clamming LicensePreorder “The Unprofessionals,” Get a Free TPR ShirtPrizes That Don’t Start with N by Dan PiepenbringEileen Myles on Reading Out Loud: “Writing Is All Performance”Elena Ferrante Wants You to Know She Is Not a ManEvelyn Waugh on the Modernists: “Great Rot”On Translating Marianne Fritz and redefining the idea of literary genius.Now That “Happy Birthday” Is Legal, Can TV Be More Normal?Staff Picks: Padgett Powell, John Berger, and MoreThe Future of Toilet Art Is in JapanI Wrote Ringtones for Donald TrumpAlice in a World of Wonderlands: Translating Lewis CarrollTranslation and Virginity by Damion SearlsMother Approved: My Secret SuperpowerPimps & Nazi Cattle: A Translator’s Adventures in the DictionaryStaff Picks: Padgett Powell, John Berger, and MoreEileen Myles on Reading Out Loud: “Writing Is All Performance”Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s Travels in California, 1961My Bitterness, My Mission: Poems by David Ray from 1977At the Whispering Gallery New James Webb Space Telescope photo truly boggles the mind NASA discovered bacteria that wouldn't die. Now it's boosting sunscreen. The farthest Wordle today: The answer and hints for July 6 NASA shows how it will talk to spacecraft over 15 billion miles away Scientists found a colossal black hole near the dawn of time China’s BYD, Geely, and SAIC file legal complaint against EU regarding tariffs · TechNode Pluto's 'heart' is yet another bummer for the dwarf planet Astronomers just saw the famous Horsehead Nebula like never before US biggest importer of Chinese batteries for fifth straight year · TechNode New Mars images show the Red Planet's 'Inca City' BYD was top NASA Starliner launch livestream: Watch the human test flight Scientists found an incandescent planet. It's 'constantly exploding.' NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 7 Target Circle week: Get $300 off the Shark Matrix Plus NASA spacecraft snaps view of volcanoes erupting on distant world Io CATL to announce new factory in Europe this year: executive · TechNode NASA spacecraft saw something incredible near Jupiter's Great Red Spot Netflix’s 'Supacell' turns stereotypes on their head
1.84s , 10192 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【اÙلام erotice عائلة】,Miracle Information Network