Mars InSight Entry, Descent, and Landing - 19:47 UTC

Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, have completed the final adjustments for landing NASA's InSight spacecraft on Mars. Atmospheric entry is expected around 11:47 a.m. PST (2:47 p.m. EST) and touchdown, about seven minutes later.

The entry, descent, and landing (EDL) begins when the spacecraft reaches the Martian atmosphere, about 80 miles (about 128 kilometers) above the surface, and ends with the lander safe and sound on the surface of Mars six minutes later.

For InSight, this phase includes a combination of technologies inherited from past NASA Mars missions such as NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander. This landing system weighs less than the airbags used for the twin rovers or the skycrane used by the Mars Science Laboratory. The lean landing hardware helps InSight place a higher ratio of science instruments to total launch mass on the surface of Mars.

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Mars InSight landing timeline

7:40 pm UTC: The InSight lander, tucked inside an entry capsule, separates from the spacecraft that carried the mission to Mars.

7:41 pm UTC:The entry capsule turns to orient itself for atmospheric entry at just the right angle — about 12 degrees relative to the surface.

7:47 pm UTC: The capsule begins to plow through the first layers of the Martian atmosphere at about 12,300 mph.

7:49 pm UTC: The spacecraft's protective heat shield reaches its maximum temperature of about 1,500 degrees Celsius. This is hot enough to melt steel.

15 seconds later: InSight slows down at its most rapid pace. The intense heating may cause a temporary radio-communications blackout.

7:51 pm UTC: InSight unfurls its supersonic parachute.

15 seconds later: Six explosive charges blow off the spacecraft's heat shield.

10 seconds later: InSight's three legs pop out after pyrotechnic charges explode.

7:52 pm UTC: A landing radar turns on to constantly measure InSight's distance to the ground.

7:53 pm UTC: The first radar signals are received and processed, helping InSight tweak its approach to Mars.

20 seconds later: InSight detaches from its back shell and parachute, then begins to free-falling toward the ground.

Half a second later: The lander's retrorockets (or descent engines) fire up.

2.5 seconds later: The falling robot uses its retrorockets to make a slight turn and orient for landing.

20 seconds later: The probe slows down to 5 mph.

7:54 pm UTC: Touchdown! InSight safely reaches the surface of Mars — NASA's first spacecraft to land on the red planet in six years.

8:01 pm UTC: The first "I'm alive and well" signal beeps from InSight's radio system reach Earth.

8:04 pm UTC: (though possibly many hours later): InSight takes its first photo on the surface of Mars.

8:35 pm UTC: NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter confirms that InSight's solar arrays have deployed, ensuring the two-Earth-year-long surface mission is ready to begin.

Source: https://xn--r1a.website/EverythingScience/1683
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MarCO CubeSats Relaying InSight Data
The first CubeSats to deep space -- Mars Cube One A and B -- have begun to relay communications from the InSight spacecraft as it lands on Mars. MarCOs' transmissions may be interrupted during the landing process, but their signals do not affect whether InSight completes its activities.

November 26 at 11:46 AM PT
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InSight Blazes Through Top of Martian Atmosphere
NASA's InSight has begun its entry, descent and landing phase at Mars. Within seven minutes of entering the atmosphere, the spacecraft is expected to deploy its parachute, separate from its heat shield, pop out its landing legs, turn on its landing radar and start firing its retrorockets as it separates from its back shell. Touchdown is expected around 11:54 a.m. PST (2:54 p.m. EST).

November 26 at 11:47 AM PM
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TOUCHDOWN CONFIRMED

First image
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NASA's InSight Spacecraft Has Touched Down on Mars
Mission controllers at NASA-JPL have received a signal from NASA's InSight lander on the Mars surface via MarCO OR a beep from InSight's X-band radio. In the coming hours, engineers will be checking on the spacecraft's health. A post-landing news briefing expected at 2 p.m. PST (5 p.m. EST).

November 26 at 11:54 AM PT
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