Insight landed on Mars at 2.52pm ET (7.52pm GMT) on Monday. The probe’s mission will last for two Earth years, which works out at just over one Mars year. The aim of the mission is help scientist learn more about how Earth and other planets in the solar system were formed 4.6 billion years ago. Scientists so far know that terrestrial plants such as Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars all have a dense, rocky structure, but only Earth is able to support life.
But the question of how these terrestrial planets formed and evolved in the way they did is still puzzling experts.
Writing for Space.com, Lee Cavendish said: “The heat flow within Mars could be compared to Earth’s and reveal that both were formed from the same substances, and if they aren’t, then why not.”
How to watch Mars Landing
NASA live streamed the huge event, but the Mars Landing can be watched again here.
What will Insight do now it has landed?
One minute after the probe touched down, it began its “surface operations”, according to Nasa.
Insight’s first task was to assess its landing site and send back images of the ground and the surrounding area that was within reach of its robotic arm.
After this, the probe will spend up to three months placing scientific instruments on the surface of Mars.
Insight will then spend another seven weeks sinking its probe around five metres (16ft) into the ground.
The craft will then stay rooted, collecting data and beaming it back to Earth.
Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said the most important job was to ensure Insight’s solar panels were deployed, in order for it to work.
He said: “We hit the Martian atmosphere at 12,300 mph (19,800 kilometres per hour), and the whole sequence to touching down on the surface took only six-and-a-half minutes.
“During that short span of time, InSight had to autonomously perform dozens of operations and do them flawlessly — and by all indications that is exactly what our spacecraft did.
“We are solar powered, so getting the arrays out and operating is a big deal.
“With the arrays providing the energy we need to start the cool science operations, we are well on our way to thoroughly investigate what’s inside of Mars for the very first time.”