What is the interior of Mars like?
What is the interior of Mars like?
The InSight mission will investigate the internal structure of Mars and the processes at play inside the planet to acquire a better understanding of the formation and evolution of earth-like planets. Similar to the other terrestrial planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth and the Moon – Mars has a metallic core surrounded by a rocky mantle, over which lies a rocky crust. According to model calculations, the core has a temperature of about 1900 degrees Celsius and could still be molten if it contains a significant amount of sulphur. This is one of the questions that the InSight mission will address. The mission will also conduct a study of seismic activity and measure the meteorite impact rate on Mars.
