NASA’s latest spacecraft is settling into life on Mars by catching some amazing rays and also some amazing photos. “InSight” the robotic mining device that will eventually dig into the surface of the red planet, opened it’s solar panels on schedule Monday night, about five hours after an amazing landing. Tom Hoffman, Insight project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion  Laboratory in Pasadena explained that, “The InSight team can rest a little easier tonight now that we know the spacecraft solar arrays are developed and recharging the batteries.”

On Tuesday, InSight is scheduled to begin operations on the Martian surface and start deploying instruments. Over the next few days, InSights mechanical arm will continue to take pictures of the surface  JPL engineers can decide where to place the instruments which will take a few months to fully deploy. It’s also been reported that InSight’s twin solar panels are each seven feet wide , making the vehicle as big as a 1960’s convertible according to NASA. The solar panels will provide 600 to 700 watts on a very clear day; synonymous to the power needed to operate a home blender.

“NASA’s InSight has sent signals to Earth indicating that it’s solar panels are open and collecting sunlight on the Martian surface.” Another vehicle that has been roaming Mars is a vehicle named Odyssey. This vehicle has been roaming since 2001, and also acts as a communication device to other rovers and landers on Mars. Spacecraft from Earth can  only happen every 26 months  when the two planets orbit align.

The Roosevelt Review went and asked student around campus their opinions of what they thought of this topic. Skyler Gabbat, a senior explained that “I’m glad NASA finally have had a successful mission and were able to sent a spacecraft on Mars and learn about this very mysterious planet.”