Mars Insight (Discovery 12)

US / NASA

Int. spacecraft nº:

US spacecraft nº:

Launch data:

Designation	43457 / 18042A
Launch date	05 May 2018 - 11:05 UT
Launch site	Va, SLC3E
Launch vehicle	Atlas-5/401 (AV-078)
Mission	Mars probe
Earth orbit:
Perihelion / Aphelion	115 x -110126 km
Eccentricity
Inclination	63.4°
Period	min

Launched together with: MarCO-A - MarCO-B

Spacecraft data:

Prime manufacturer
Platform
Operator
Mass at launch	kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Equipment
Solar array
Stabilization
Propulsion
DC power
Design lifetime

End of live:

Out of service:
Cause:
Landing on Mars date:	26 Nov 2018 (.82)
Lifetime:

Mission details:

The NASA/JPL Mars Insight probe was launched from Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base on May 5, 2018. Centaur AV-078 entered a 185 x 185 km x 64.0 deg parking orbit. After almost one orbit it made a second burn to a hyperbolic orbit of 115 x -110126 km x 63.54 deg which will lead to a 1.0 x 1.4 AU x 2.3 deg orbit around the Sun and arrival in Mars′ gravitational sphere on Nov 22, 2018.
The Mars Insight probe and the two MarCO cubesats entered Martian space at about 1640 UTC Nov 22. The hyperbolic orbits of the three probes were:
- Insight 7 x -16494 km x 13.5 deg
- MarCO-A 1625 x -18113 km x 20.9 deg
- MarCO-B 1749 x -18238 km x 17.6 deg
The MarCO probes reach periares around the time of Insight′s landing and will relay data during the descent.
Insight landed on Elysium Planitia, Mars, at about 4.5N 135.9E, at 1944:52 UTC on Nov 26, 2018.
The MarCO cubesats relayed real-time data from the descent to Earth. Shortly before entry the approaching probes passed close to the Martian moon Phobos.
Evolution of the landing (UTC time):
- Nov 22 1636 MarCO-A enter Mars space from 1.01 x 1.43 AU x 2.2 deg solar orbit
- Nov 22 1637 MarCO-B enter Mars space from 1.01 x 1.43 AU x 2.2 deg solar orbit
- Nov 22 1639 Insight enter Mars space from 1.01 x 1.44 AU x 2.3 deg solar orbit
- Nov 26 1910 Insight closest approach to Phobos, 2250 km
- 1913 MarCO-A closest approach to Phobos, 4309 km
- 1914 MarCO-B closest approach to Phobos, 1935 km
- 1931 Insight Cruise Stage separates, 1100 km alt
- 1938 Insight entry, 128 km
- 1939? Cruise stage burns up
- 1942 Insight parachute deploy, 12 km
- 1942 Heat shield separation, 9 km
- 1943? Heat shield impact surface
- 1944 Backshell separation, 1 km
- 1944 Thrusters on
- 1944 Backshell/parachute impact surface
- 1944:52 Insight Landing
- 1945 MarCO-A periares, 1625 km
- 1947 MarCO-B periares, 1749 km
- Nov 30 2251 MarCO-A depart Mars space, to 1.137 x 1.601 AU x 1.4 deg solar orbit
- Nov 30 2255 MarCO-B depart Mars space, to 1.146 x 1.564 AU x 1.8 deg solar orbit

Ref.: #3(SD553), #7(JR749,757-758), #228 - update: 25.08.19

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