The newest robotic resident of Mars defied the odds and landed safely on the surface, despite the thin atmosphere and strong gravity. On 26 November, Mars InSight faced six and a half minutes of terror, charring its heat shield, flinging its parachute out at supersonic speeds, and finally burning thrusters to set down gently at the end of its six-month journey from Earth. Unlike every other spacecraft that has visited Mars, InSight won't explore the surface – this time it's a mission to explore what's inside Mars. "Mars has so many missions that have been able to explore the exterior by orbiting or by roving around on the surface," says Elizabeth Barrett, science system engineer with the mission. "InSight is going to be that first mission that will look further into the interior."