NASA’s mission to put a probe on Mars has been delayed, and China and the European Space Agency are taking full advantage of the setback. InSight was declared the winner of a NASA competition to become one of three missions funded by the Discovery Program, but the mission has now been delayed. The mission was designed to make a boat to sail the waters of Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, and a probe that could jump across the surface of a comet. However, the project has been delayed.

NASA Mission to Mars Delayed Because of a Leak

The project, which cost $425 million, has been inevitably postponed because of a delay on a specific instrument on the lander’s vacuum container. The seismographic instrument would measure the thickness of Mar’s crust and mantle. It is also capable of catching movement in Martian soil, even at the atomic level.

The instrument was shown to have leaked a few times through testing. This week, it failed a cold temperature experiment. In order for the sensor to remain active throughout its exploration of Mars, this instrument needs to be in full function. As such, the mission has been delayed from March of 2016 to May of 2018.

This mission would have also carried out the study of geological processes on Mars, as well as the internal makeup and any tectonic activity on the planet.

NASA Regretfully Announces Mars Mission Delay

The news came as a shock to the team in charge of the mission. The decision was hard to make, but the difficulties were too dire to ignore. For now, the InSight lander is being flown to the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Carried by a C-17 aircraft, it’ll be examined by experts to find the root of the problem and fix them in time for a 2018 launch.

Meanwhile, NASA Researchers Consider Farming on the Red Planet

On another note, researchers are now considering how vegetables and fruits could be grown on their red planet. It’s about time that we examine growing food on Mars for human consumption. This is part of an experiment conducted by the International Potato Center. Their goal is to build a dome on Mars’s surface that could support Earth food farming.

ESA and China Take Advantage of Mars Slip Up

As NASA slows down, the European Space Agency and China show no signs of slowing down. Preparations for an ESA mission to Mars are complete and scheduled for a 2018 launch. China, on the other hand, has full preparations to launch another probe to Mars. They’re looking to explore the ‘dark side of Mars’.

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