Burrowing under soil opens up a whole new world, especially when that soil is on other planets. Getting under the top layer of regolith on a world such as Mars could give access to a world still extant with life, whereas, on the Moon, it could lead to discovering a water source. So, for almost 30 years, scientists have been developing robots based on that most well-known burrowing machine here on Earth – the mole. Unfortunately, the models that have made it into space so far have failed for various reasons, but that hasn’t stopped more research groups from trying to perfect their own version of a mole robot. A paper from a research group at Guangdong University of Technology in China describes their efforts and frustrations in mimicking one of nature’s more unique but capable specialists.
Continue reading “Burrowing Mole-Bot Could Characterize Other Planet’s Soil”Scientists Have Figured out why Martian Soil is so Crusty
On November 26th, 2018, NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) mission landed on Mars. This was a major milestone in Mars exploration since it was the first time a research station had been deployed to the surface to probe the planet’s interior. One of the most important instruments InSight would use to do this was the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Also known as the Martian Mole, this instrument measured the heat flow from deep inside the planet for four years.
The HP3 was designed to dig up to five meters (~16.5 ft) into the surface to sense heat deeper in Mars’ interior. Unfortunately, the Mole struggled to burrow itself and eventually got just beneath the surface, which was a surprise to scientists. Nevertheless, the Mole gathered considerable data on the daily and seasonal fluctuations below the surface. Analysis of this data by a team from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has yielded new insight into why Martian soil is so “crusty.” According to their findings, temperatures in the top 40 cm (~16 inches) of the Martian surface lead to the formation of salt films that harden the soil.
Continue reading “Scientists Have Figured out why Martian Soil is so Crusty”NASA Has Given Up on Trying to Deploy InSight’s Mole
It’s always a sad day when a mission comes to an end. And it’s even sadder when the mission never really got going in the first place.
That’s where we’re at with NASA’s InSight lander. The entire mission isn’t over, but the so-called Mole, the instrument designed and built by Germany’s DLR, has been pronounced dead.
Continue reading “NASA Has Given Up on Trying to Deploy InSight’s Mole”InSight’s ‘Mole’ is Now Completely buried!
It’s been a long road for InSight’s Mole. InSight landed on Mars almost two years ago, in November 2018. While the lander’s other instruments are working fine and returning scientific data, the Mole has been struggling to hammer its way into the surface of the planet.
After much hard work and a lot of patience, the Mole has finally succeeded in burying itself all the way into the Marian regolith.
But the drama hasn’t concluded yet.
Continue reading “InSight’s ‘Mole’ is Now Completely buried!”InSight’s Mole Is In!
The InSight lander is making progress on Mars. After many months of struggle and careful adaptation, the InSight lander’s ‘Mole’ is finally into the ground. There’s still more delicate work to be done, and they’re not at operating depth yet. But after such a long, arduous affair, this feels like a victory.
Continue reading “InSight’s Mole Is In!”Although InSight’s Mole is Completely Buried, it Might be Stuck Again
You’ve gotta hand it to NASA, and to the German Aerospace Center (DLR.) They’ve been struggling for over a year to get the InSight Lander’s Mole working. There’ve been setbacks, then progress, then more setbacks, as they try to get the Mole deep enough to do its job.
Now the Mole is finally buried completely in the Martian surface, but it might still be stuck.
Continue reading “Although InSight’s Mole is Completely Buried, it Might be Stuck Again”Finally! InSight’s Mole is Making Slow and Steady Progress

Personnel at NASA and the DLR have been working for months to get InSight’s Mole working. They’re at a disadvantage, since the average distance between Earth and Mars is about 225 million km (140 million miles.) They’ve tried a number of things to get the Mole into the ground, and they may finally be making some progress.
Continue reading “Finally! InSight’s Mole is Making Slow and Steady Progress”Good News! The New Strategy of Using InSight’s Arm to Push the Mole Seems to be Making Progress.
There’s at least one small bit of good news in these challenging Covid-19 times. And it’s playing out on the surface of Mars. In a brief Tweet, NASA says that using InSight’s robotic arm to push the Mole into the ground is working, somewhat.
Continue reading “Good News! The New Strategy of Using InSight’s Arm to Push the Mole Seems to be Making Progress.”InSight’s Heat Probe Has Bounced Back Out Of Its Hole
This is sad news. After finding what seemed like a solution to the Mole’s difficulties on Mars, engineers are stymied again. The Mole, or Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) has bounced half-way out of its hole.
It’s like Groundhog Day on Mars. If the Mole bounces out of its hole, it means six more weeks of engineers scratching their heads to come up with a solution.
Continue reading “InSight’s Heat Probe Has Bounced Back Out Of Its Hole”It Looks Like it’s Working! NASA InSight’s Mole is Making Progress Again Thanks to the Arm Scoop Hack

NASA and the DLR are making some progress with the Mole. The Mole has been stuck for months now, and NASA/DLR have been working to get it unstuck. After removing the mole’s housing to get a better look at it with InSight’s cameras, the team came up with a plan.
Continue reading “It Looks Like it’s Working! NASA InSight’s Mole is Making Progress Again Thanks to the Arm Scoop Hack”