The NASA slogan, “Failure is not an option” sometimes leads to the most heroic and silly results. Ok… once it led to silly results… and that once is the case of the Insight Mission, and its mole burrowing tool. 

Last we saw our intrepid burrowing temperature gauge, scientists were trying to give it a helping hand, or shovel, by wedging it sideways in it’s hole. It was hoped this would increase the friction between the mole and its hole and allow it to dig down into Mars.

This did not work. So they have a new plan.

The robotic arm on the Insight lander will now push down on the mole while it hammers.

And if you’re wondering why they didn’t try it first, the reason is actually pretty simple: If the mole succeeds in digging down, then the stationary shovel will no longer be putting any pressure on the mole. So they will need to alternate between hammering and moving the shovel, back and forth, one tiny move at a time.

And the thing is, the mole was originally designed to dig down 5 m, or about 16 ft, and measure the temperature beneath Mars’ surface as it goes. Insight’s shovel can’t push it all the way down 5 meters – all it can do is push it down to the surface. It was originally thought that through a combination of friction and an internal hammering mechanism, the mole could drive itself downward. Unfortunately, a combination of lack of friction and possibly an interfering rock have all worked to thwart this burrowing sensor. It can only be hoped that if the mole can burrow itself beneath the surface completely, maybe it will hit a better material to dig in. 

Insight, we’re watching, and we’re laughing a bit, and we wish you the best in your continued efforts to hide beneath the soils on Mars.

More Information

• Mars InSight lander to push on top of the ‘mole’ (Phys.org)