NASA is returning to Mars for the first time since the Curiosity rover landed in 2012

The surface of Mars.
(Image credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Cornell University via Getty Images)

Mars, ho! It has been over half a decade since the Curiosity rover touched down on Mars' distant rust-colored surface in 2012, but at long last NASA is returning to the red planet with InSight, set to launch this weekend, The Associated Press reports. The spacecraft will be the first to study the deep interiors of Mars, including the planet's mysterious tremors known as "marsquakes."

InSight isn't making its six-month journey alone: Shortly after launch, two small satellites will break off and propel themselves behind InSight all the way to Mars. The satellites are nicknamed WALL-E and EVE, after the Pixar characters from the 2008 movie, and they will test a communication link with InSight when it lands on Nov. 26.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.