NASA selected the Elysium Planitia region of the Red Planet as the landing site for its InSight lander –an 81-mile long, 17-mile-wide (130-kilometer-long, 27-kilometer-wide) landing ellipse on the western edge of a flat, smooth expanse of lava plain. The site-selection team focused on a band around the equator, where the lander’s solar array would have adequate sunlight to power its systems year-round and be safe enough for InSight to land and then deploy its solar panels and instruments without obstructions.
Reportedly, Space X founder Elon Musk has asked NASA to provide possible landing sites for its towering, two-stage rocket system called Starship for mid-2020 missions that will land people and cargo on Mars. Collaborating with a NASA scientist, the rocket company requested photos of at least nine landing sites for Starships that offer relatively flat, warm and hazard-free sites for the upcoming fleet of Martian launch vehicles.
The Galaxy Report newsletter brings you twice-weekly news of space and science that has the capacity to provide clues to the mystery of our existence and add a much needed cosmic perspective in our current Anthropocene Epoch.
