Nasa’s Mars lander set to launch next month

Los Angeles, April 10: Nasa is launching a new spacecraft to Mars, that will study the deep interior of the red planet to learn how all rocky planets and their moons are formed.

This is the first time that a space mission will be launched from America’s West Coast, Nasa said.

Most of US’ interplanetary missions take off from the Kennedy Space Center ( KSC) in Florida, located on the East Coast of the country.

On May 5, the historic first interplanetary launch from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California will take place.

On board the 57.3- metretall United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will be NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport ( InSight) lander, destined for the Elysium Planitia region located in Mars’ northern hemisphere.

The InSight lander will study the deep interior of Mars to learn how all rocky planets formed, including Earth and its Moon.

The launch window for the InSight mission opens at 4: 05 am PDT ( 4: 30pm) and remains open for two hours.

The United Launch Alliance two- stage Atlas V 401 launch vehicle will produce 3.8 million Newtons of thrust as it climbs away from its launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

During the first 17 seconds of powered flight, the Atlas V will climb vertically above its launch pad. Then it will begin a manoeuvre that will place it on a trajectory towards Earth’s south pole.

“After lift- off from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 3, the Atlas V begins a southerly trajectory and climbs out over the Channel Islands off Oxnard,” said Tim Dunn, launch director at the John F Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

About 1 minute and 18 seconds into the Atlas V’s powered flight, the vehicle will be about nine kilometres in altitude and 1.75 kilometres down range.

Two minutes and 36 seconds later, the Atlas first stage will shut down at an altitude of about 106 and 296 kilometres down range.

The second stage will separate from the nowdead first stage six seconds later. Ten seconds later, the Centaur’s engine kicks in with its 101,820 newtons of thrust, which will carry it and InSight into its 185- kilometre parking orbit 13 minutes and 16 seconds after launch.