Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Swiss electronics to help NASA Mars probe

drawing of space probe on Mars
The Insight lander is to drill into the surface of Mars and gather samples to help understand how the Red Planet was formed. Keystone

A seismometer controlled with Swiss-developed electronics will be on board when NASA’s “InSight” lander sets off on an exploration mission from California to Mars on May 5.

InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is the first mission dedicated to studying the rock structure of Mars. It is due to last two years – one Martian year – and aims to improve understanding of how rocky planets including Earth are formed and develop.

The aim is notably to determine whether the core of the Red Planet is solid or liquid and why its surface is not composed of moving tectonic plates like Earth.

The NASA probe will carry a seismic measuring instrument built under the lead of France together with Germany, Switzerland, the UK and the US. The Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, working with private industry, developed the electronic brain of the seismometer.  Thus Switzerland is “once again part of a space mission from which ground-breaking results are expected”, said a government press releaseExternal link.

More
ExoMars rover

More

Swiss camera set to capture life on Mars

This content was published on In 2021, a European rover is set to roll over the surface of Mars in the search for traces of life. At its heart is a Swiss camera.

Read more: Swiss camera set to capture life on Mars

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Beer sales dampened by bad weather

More

Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather

This content was published on The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.

Read more: Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR