Posted: Sun, Jun 9, 2019, 9:46 AM ET (1346 GMT)
NASA is planning a new approach to resolving a problem with an instrument on the InSight Mars lander. The Heat Flow and Physics Properties Package includes a probe, or "mole," designed to hammer its way into the surface to a depth of five meters, but has been stuck just 30 centimeters below the surface for three months. NASA said this week it will use the lander's robotic arm to carefully lift up the instrument's support structure and take images of the area around the mole. The arm could also be used to press down on the surface, allowing the mole to gain traction against surrounding soil so it can continue burrowing into the surface.
