The US space agency NASA has suspended the planned launch of a Mars lander called InSight in March 2016 due to unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a French-built seismological instrument.
Fact Punch
For InSight, the 2016 launch window existed from March 4 to March 30. Due to the relative positions of the Earth and Mars, a new launch window for the probe would not come for another 26 months.
The instrument involved is the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS), a seismometer provided by the French Space Agency (CNES) that will help answer questions about the interior structure and processes within the deep Martian interior.
Designed to measure ground movements as small as the diameter of an atom, the instrument requires a vacuum seal around its three main sensors to withstand the harsh conditions of the Martian environment.
According to the US space agency, a leak earlier this year that had prevented the seismometer from retaining vacuum conditions was repaired, but after the final sealing of the instrument, another leak was detected.
About InSight
The InSight spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, was delivered to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on December 16. With the 2016 launch cancelled, the spacecraft will be returned from Vandenberg to Lockheed’s facility in Denver.
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