In December 2015 , we watch thedisappointing newsthat NASA ’s InSight lander – a mission to dig into the entrails of Mars – had been delayed from launching in March 2016 due to a fault .

But now for some dear news : NASA has given the unripe light for the missionary work to plunge in May 2018 , amid some concerns that the mission could be canceled following the delay . The revised timeline will see the charge plunge no in the first place than May 5 , 2018 , arriving at Mars almost seven months later on November 26 .

InSight ( Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport ) is a stationary lander that will drill 5 meter ( 16 feet ) beneath the surface to measure the temperature of Mars and study the subsurface realm . This will increase our understanding not only of Mars , but also how other rocky planets form and evolve , too .

The mission was initially detain when a emptiness leak was notice in one of its instrument , theSeismic experimentation for Interior Structure(SEIS ) , which will detect signals from marsquakes , meteorite wallop , and even more localized events like debris storms and landslide . The leak meant that the instrument would have been useless on Mars , make NASA no choice but to remit the launch .

“ It ’s gratifying that we are go forward with this important deputation to help us well understand the origins of Mars and all the rocky planets , include Earth , ” order Geoff Yoder , act associate administrator for NASA ’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington , in astatement .

launch to Mars only occur in specific windows when the planets align for a shorter tripper , which occurs about every 26 months , which is why NASA had to postpone the mission for so long . But , gratefully , this new launch date has been approve . And it might turn out to be a busy class for Mars , with SpaceX alsoplanning a missionary post , although their recentrocket mishapmay perplex matters .

NASA did mark , though , that the InSight delay could affect other missions . The initial budget for the mission was $ 675 million , but this postponement will add $ 153.8 million , which may conduct to fewer opportunities for new missions up to 2020 .

Nonetheless , it ’s estimable news for increasing our understanding of Mars . With another NASA rover plan in 2020 , alongside the European - built ExoMars rover , we ’ll hopefully bed a lot more about the Red Planet by the turn of the decade .