The first drilling rig appeared on Mars
Research on the Earth’s “red neighbor” is ongoing. Despite the fact that the conditions for life on Mars are, to put it mildly, difficult, mankind does not abandon the idea of its colonization. And now, it seems, it is time to move on to a new stage of study. A message appeared on the InSight mission website that the HP³ (Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package) device was successfully unloaded on the surface of the Red Planet, the purpose of which is to drill a five-meter well in the surface of Mars and study the thermal geological processes occurring inside.
Recall that the InSight mission was launched on May 5 last year. On November 26, 2018, the device made a successful landing, after which it was able to transmit images of the surrounding area to Earth. The station is equipped with several research instruments, a weather sensor, a corner reflector and two cameras.
On December 19 of last year, the SEIS seismograph was lowered to the surface. Then, during the month, it was installed and aligned using a 2,4-meter robotic arm. And so, on February 12, 2019, at a distance of 1,5 meters from the station, the HP³ drilling rig was installed, equipped with a thermal tape with sensors and a 40-cm drill attached to it, which is capable of immersing 5 meters in Martian soil.
Note that the aforementioned drilling depth will be a record for the entire time of exploration of Mars. Previously, it was possible to study the soil only 22 cm deep. The main objective of the apparatus will be the analysis of heat fluxes in the planet earth. However, thanks to data on thermal conductivity, scientists will also be able to draw preliminary conclusions about the mineral composition of soil layers.
Recall that the InSight mission was launched on May 5 last year. On November 26, 2018, the device made a successful landing, after which it was able to transmit images of the surrounding area to Earth. The station is equipped with several research instruments, a weather sensor, a corner reflector and two cameras.
On December 19 of last year, the SEIS seismograph was lowered to the surface. Then, during the month, it was installed and aligned using a 2,4-meter robotic arm. And so, on February 12, 2019, at a distance of 1,5 meters from the station, the HP³ drilling rig was installed, equipped with a thermal tape with sensors and a 40-cm drill attached to it, which is capable of immersing 5 meters in Martian soil.
Note that the aforementioned drilling depth will be a record for the entire time of exploration of Mars. Previously, it was possible to study the soil only 22 cm deep. The main objective of the apparatus will be the analysis of heat fluxes in the planet earth. However, thanks to data on thermal conductivity, scientists will also be able to draw preliminary conclusions about the mineral composition of soil layers.
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