What Does NASA Mars Lander's Launch Delay Mean for Red Planet Exploration?

The launch delay and possible cancellation of NASA's next Mars lander shouldn't affect the agency's other activities at the Red Planet going forward, officials say. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), NASA announced that a leak in the vacuum chamber surrounding a key scientific instrument will prevent the InSight Mars lander from blasting off in March 2016 as planned. The space agency will now work to determine whether to target the next available launch window, which opens in mid-2018, or to cancel InSight a