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Mars InSight landing site may look like a stadium parking lot
Washington, Nov 6 (IANS) Elysium Planitia, the site chosen for the November 26 landing of NASA’s InSight mission to Mars, is so plain that it may very well look like a stadium parking lot, the US space agency has said.
“If Elysium Planitia were a salad, it would consist of romaine lettuce and kale – no dressing,” said InSight principal investigator Bruce Banerdt at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
“If it were an ice cream, it would be vanilla.”
But that is the way the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) project likes it.
“Previous missions to the Red Planet have investigated its surface by studying its canyons, volcanoes, rocks and soil,” said Banerdt.
“But the signatures of the planet’s formation processes can be found only by sensing and studying evidence buried far below the surface. It is InSight’s job to study the deep interior of Mars, taking the planet’s vital signs — its pulse, temperature and reflexes,” Banerdt added.
Taking those vital signs will help the InSight science team look back to a time when the rocky planets of the solar system formed. The investigations will depend on three instruments:
A six-sensor seismometer called the “Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure” (SEIS) will record seismic waves travelling through the interior structure of the planet. Studying seismic waves will tell scientists what might be creating the waves.
On Mars, scientists suspect that the culprits may be marsquakes or meteorites striking the surface.
The mission’s “Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package” will burrow deeper than any other scoop, drill or probe on Mars before to gauge how much heat is flowing out of the planet. Its observations will shed light on whether Earth and Mars are made of the same stuff.
Finally, InSight’s “Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment” (RISE) will use the lander’s radios to assess the wobble of Mars’ rotation axis, providing information about the planet’s core.
For InSight to do its work, the team needed a landing site that checked off several boxes, because as a three-legged lander — not a rover — InSight will remain wherever it touches down.
“For the first time ever, the evaluation for a Mars landing site had to consider what lay below the surface of Mars,” said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager at JPL.
“We needed not just a safe place to land, but also a workspace that’s penetrable by our 16-feet-long (five metre) heat flow probe,” Hoffman added.
The site also needs to be bright enough and warm enough to power the solar cells while keeping its electronics within temperature limits for an entire Martian year (26 Earth months).
So the team focused on a band around the equator, where the lander’s solar array would have adequate sunlight to power its systems year-round.
After a 205-day journey that began on May 5, NASA’s InSight mission will touch down on Mars on November 26.
Its solar panels will unfurl within a few hours of touchdown.
Mission engineers and scientists will take their time assessing their “workspace” prior to deploying SEIS and Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package on the surface — about three months after landing — and begin the science in earnest, NASA said.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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