Insight Touches Down on Red Planet

Insight was the eighth successful landing on Earth’s neighbor, Mars. The U.S. has achieved all successful Mars landing, though with less than a 50-50 success rate. Insight’s main mission over the course of its 2-year stay is to explore the interior of the Red Planet, measuring seismic activity and collecting rock samples.

The total expenditure for Insight’s program has hit 1 billion USD, with a $180 million investment from France and Germany. While government agencies have historically spearheaded exploration of the next great frontier, private investment in space ventures has soared in recent years. After Insight’s landing, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, said there was a 70 percent chance he visits the planet.