NASA’s InSight lands on It aims to unveil the Red Planet’s inner mysteries, such as its formation

Agence France-Presse The vehicle appeared to Pasadena be in good shape. But as ex- Cheers and applause erupt- pected, the dust kicked up ed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion during the landing obscured Laboratory late on Monday the first picture InSight sent night as its Mars rover In- back, which was heavily Sight touched down on the flecked. Red planet, capping a nearly The spacecraft is NASA’s seven-year journey from de- first to touch down on the sign to launch to landing. earth’s neighbouring planet The dramatic arrival of since the rover ar- the $993 million spacecraft — rived in 2012. designed to unveil the Red More than half of 43 at- Planet's inner mysteries, tempts to reach Mars with how it formed billions of rovers, orbiters and probes years ago and, by extension, by space agencies from how other rocky planets like In good shape: A picture taken by InSight’s camera, mounted around the world have the earth took shape — on its robotic arm, after it landed on Mars. * AFP/NASA/JPL failed. marked the eighth success- NASA is the only space ful landing on Mars in NA- citement surged through the coming when we land hu- agency to have made it. “We SA's history. room, and dozens of scien- mans on Mars,” NASA admi- never take Mars for granted. “Touchdown confirmed,” tists leapt from their seats to nistrator Jim Bridenstine Mars is hard,” said Thomas a mission control operator at embrace each other. said, adding that the goal is Zurbuchen, an associate ad- NASA said, as anxiety and ex- “Ultimately, the day is to do so by the mid 2030s. ministrator with NASA.