NASA's InSight lander, which is currently on the surface of Mars, has faced some unexpected challenges during its mission to explore and explore the planet.
Namely, the digging probe, which was built to bury itself beneath the surface like a jackhammer, is stuck as Mars' soil is more lumpy than scientists expected, Popular Science reported.
After several failed attempts to free itself, NASA had to get creative. Ultimately, a blow with a shovel freed the probe.
NASA expected its probe, dubbed the mole, to work its way through the sandy terrain. But as the Martian soil stuck together, the craft stuck in place.
https://twitter.com/NASAInSight/status/1238497770228420608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
PopSci says programming the InSight robot arm to strike was a risky, last resort because there was a risk of damaging the fragile power lines and communications that lay nearby.
The engineers spent several months training in the simulation before actually attempting it.
With preliminary results that the mole is working again, NASA will start digging the surface of Mars again.
Once there, we hope to be able to complete our exploration mission: analyze the temperature fluctuations inside the Red Planet, trying to understand how the core of Mars is similar to the core of the Earth.
Sources: Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech
