InSight Mars lander

Nasa’s InSight Mars lander spacecraft has entered the assembly, test and launch operations phase of its development at Lockheed Martin clean room near Denver in Colorado, US.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is integrating the aeroshell and cruise stage of the lander at its Denver location.

Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory InSight project manager Tom Hoffman said: "Reaching this stage that we call ‘ATLO’ is a critical milestone.

"The spacecraft will be equipped with avionics, power, telecommunication, mechanisms, thermal systems and navigation systems."

"This is a very satisfying point of the mission as we transition from many teams working on their individual elements to integrating these elements into a functioning system.

"We will then move rapidly to rigorous testing when the spacecraft has been assembled, and then to the launch preparations."

The spacecraft will be equipped with avionics, power, telecommunication, mechanisms, thermal systems and navigation systems in the coming months.

The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission is a terrestrial planet explorer and is designed to understand the processes that led to the formation of the rocky planets of the inner solar system over four billion years ago.

Led by Bruce Banerdt of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the InSight mission science team includes US and international co-investigators from universities, industry and government agencies.

The project is also being supported by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French space agency (CNES), which are developing an instrument.

Image: Nasa InSight Mars lander being prepared for propulsion proof and leak testing. Photo: courtesy of Lockheed Martin.

Defence Technology