Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure

Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure
Testing of the lander's robotic arm that deployed the seismometer
OperatorNASA
ManufacturerCNES
Instrument typegeophysical observations
Functionseismometer
Mission durationPlanned: 2 years on Mars[1] Final: 1446 sols (1485 days)
Began operationsLanding: 26 November 2018
Ceased operations21 December 2022
Websitewww.seis-insight.eu/en/
Properties
Mass29.5 kg (65 lb)[2]
DimensionsVacuum chamber volume: 3 L (0.66 imp gal; 0.79 US gal)[2]
Power consumption8.5 W[2]
Data rate38 megabits/day [2]
Host spacecraft
SpacecraftInSight
OperatorNASA
Launch date5 May 2018, 11:05 (2018-05-05UTC11:05) UTC
COSPAR ID2018-042A

The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) is a seismometer and the primary scientific instrument on board the InSight Mars lander launched on 5 May 2018 for a landing on 26 November 2018; the instrument was deployed to the surface of Mars on 19 December. SEIS is expected to provide seismic measurements of marsquakes, enabling researchers to develop 3D structure maps of the deep interior. Better understanding the internal structure of Mars will lead to better understanding of the Earth, Moon, and rocky planetary bodies in general.

SEIS detected marsquakes in Cerberus Fossae in 2019.

On 24 December 2021, the seismometer for the InSight mission on Mars detected a large seismic event with a distinct signature. The event was caused by a meteor impact on the surface of Mars, which was confirmed by satellite observations of a newly formed 150-meter crater. [3] As of 21 December 2022, which marks the official end of the InSight mission, SEIS has detected a total of 1319 marsquakes.[4]

  1. ^ "InSight – Mission Overview". NASA. 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference SEIS Home was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Posiolova, L. V.; et al. (2022). "Largest recent impact craters on Mars: Orbital imaging and surface seismic co-investigation". Science. 378 (6618): 412–417. Bibcode:2022Sci...378..412P. doi:10.1126/science.abq7704. hdl:10044/1/100459. PMID 36302013. S2CID 253183826.
  4. ^ ""NASA Retires InSight Mars Lander Mission After Years of Science"". 21 December 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.