NASA has nicknamed “six and a half minutes of terror” to the landing period of spacecraft that cost nearly a billion dollars is on course to make a difficult landing on Monday, if the spacecraft is liable to withstanding the high-speed approach and the scorching heat of entering. The head of entry, decent and landing team at NASA’s Jet propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, California Mr. Rob Grover said that “the margin of error is very low, we have to give our best.”
If the Mission will successful than it will be the first mission to listen to the interior of another planet and reveal how rocky planets formed. That will bring new accomplishment to NASA’s record in sending spacecraft to Mars. It is not surprising if it fails. There are 45 other international attempts to sent orbiters, probes, landers or rover to Mars in which 25 of them become fail.
There will no live video from Mars, the signals will be transmitted back to earth with a delay of eight minutes.
Here’s what to expect:
- At 1940 GMT, the spacecraft separates at cruise stage that carried it to Mars. After a minute the spacecraft makes a turn to orient itself for atmospheric entry.
- At 1947 GMT, Spacecraft is on his way at the speed of 19,800 kmph as it begins to enter mars atmosphere. Due to very high speed, the atmospheric friction will increase the temperature of the shield to its peak at 2,700 F that could cause dropout of signals.
- At 1951 GMT, Before deploying the parachutes the heat shield separates from the spacecraft, after this the landers three legs deploy to land.
- At 1952 GMT, Radar activities start to scence the distance of the ground.
- At 1953 GMT, Now the first radar signal is expected after this the retrorocket engine starts. Insight speed slows gradually from 17mph to 5mph.
- At 1954 GMT, Expected touchdown.
- At 2001 GMT, The first indication of insight survives the landing with a “beep’.
The orbital pattern of Mars Odyssey spacecraft will not be observed by NASA until 0135 GMT on Tuesday if Insight ‘s solar arrays have deployed or not. This is a sensible approach because the quake sensor is powered by the sun for its one year mission.
