a powerful atlas five rocket is propelling the mars insite lander to the planet's surface as we speak the journey is expected to take six months upon arrival the probe will be sent deep under the planet's crossed for clues about how it was formed for the launch is two years too late due to equipment problems the delay also ramped up project cost for more than eight hundred million dollars the solar and battery powered lander is designed to operate for twenty six earth months which is just one mars year. the inside lander will be the first to examine the internal structure of the planet mars scientists have been eager to gather data on the red planet's interior for decades. we know a lot about the surface of mars we know a lot about its atmosphere and even about its saw on a spear but we don't know very much about what goes on a mile below the surface much less two thousand miles below the surface down to the