NASA announced that their InSight spacecraft is on track for a soft touchdown on Martian surface on November 26. Currently, the scientists are monitoring the health and trajectory of the lander.
As per the space agency the InSight space probe which was launched on May 5, 2018, will hit the atmosphere of Mars at 19,800 kilometres per hour (kph) and slow down to eight kph before the touch down on Martian soil.
The reduction of the speed should take place in just seven minutes. In a statement, Rob Grover, the lead of InSight's entry, descent and landing (EDL), based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California said, "There's a reason engineers call landing on Mars 'seven minutes of terror.'"
"We can't joystick the landing, so we have to rely on the commands we pre-programmed into the spacecraft. We've spent years testing our plans, learning from other Mars landings and studying all the conditions Mars can throw at us. And we're going to stay vigilant till InSight settles into its home in the Elysium Planitia region," he added.
This touchdown is the part of a two-year mission in which for the first time a spacecraft will start to observe and study Martian interior. The data collected by InSight during this mission will help the scientists understand the formation of all rocky worlds, including earth.
NASA confirmed that almost 80 live streaming events will take place for the public in all around the world that is scheduled at 2 pm ET meaning 3 am in Singapore on November 27. People can also watch the live event on NASA TV, official website and their social media platforms that includes YouTube.
