We have lost count of how many NASA missions have been launched due to the sheer number of them. In fact, not all of them need to come to a satisfying conclusion, as some of them, even when they finish early, demonstrate how important their knowledge is to our continued quest to uncover the mysteries the cosmos hides from us. For example, we now have updated information about the rotation of Mars.

The rotation movement of Mars and the InSight probe

Data from NASA’s InSight mission, which was active until December last year when Martian dust accumulating on the solar panels finally led to their complete shutdown, is used in a recent study that was recently published in Nature.

This study made use of the RISE instrument on the InSight probe, whose acronym stands for Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment. Thanks to it, it has been discovered that the rotation of the red planet is accelerating by 4 millionths of a second, which is a very small amount, although science still does not know what exactly its origin is.

Some theories from scientists working on the project revolve around the accumulation of ice in the polar regions of the planet or the so-called glacial rebound, or land masses that emerge after being submerged under ice.

Additionally, the RISE experiment has obtained additional information, such as the planet’s rotational balance, which is caused by the moving liquid core. With the help of the InSight survey sensor, it was possible to determine the distance and shape of the core radius, which is 1,835 kilometers. According to statements recovered from Attilio Rivoldini, co-author of the study, on the NASA website.

The RISE data show that the shape of the nucleus cannot be fully explained by its rotation. This method requires slightly higher or lower densities that are inserted deep into the mantle.

After scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory retired the probe in December, it continues to prove its worth by providing data that is truly essential for current research.