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NASA’s InSight hopes to detect “marsquakes”, deploys seismometer on Mars
In another historic feat for NASA’s InSight lander, a seismometer has now been deployed on Mars, marking the first time a scientific instrument has been placed onto the surface of another planet. Once the craft’s team have things set up for readings, its instruments will begin measuring the internal vibrations of the red planet, hoping to ultimately learn about the activities and composition of its core and crust. InSight’s instruments will also study how powerful and frequent seismic activity is on Mars along with how often the surface is hit with meteorites. If we’re hoping to explore and possibly live there one day, this is all very important information to have.
After launching on May 5, 2018, aboard an Atlas rocket in California, InSight and its MarCO twin CubeSat companions traveled through deep space for around 6 months before landing on the Martian surface at 11:52 PST on November 26, 2018, an event watched live around the world, including a broadcast in Times Square, New York City. The planned mission for the craft is a little over 1 Martian year, i.e., about 2 Earth years, during which time it will aim to provide scientific data useful for understanding the processes that have shaped the rocky planets of our solar system. In other words, the things InSight learns about Mars will be directly relevant to our own planet as well.
InSight’s name is actually an acronym for “Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport”, each part being a reference to the specific science it will be conducting. There are several auxiliary instruments on board the lander that will assist or complement its main mission. However, there are 3 scientific instruments on the craft to help meet its objectives.
First, a seismometer named the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) will study seismic waves from the Martian surface to study the planet’s crust. When magma moves or meteorites hit, the instrument will detect the motion and gather information that will tell scientists about Mars’ temperature, pressure, and composition. This is the instrument featured in the lander’s recent photo.
Second, a heat flow probe named the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe (HP3) will burrow more than 10 feet into the surface to measure the heat still flowing out of Mars, giving clues about how it evolved and whether Earth and Mars are made of the same materials. Finally, a radio science instrument named the Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) will measure tiny changes in the location of InSight to measure Mars’ “wobbles” on its axis. This movement data will provide information about the planet’s core.
InSight is conducting its experiments on the western side of the Elysium Planitia of Mars, a smooth, flat region near the planet’s equator. The location was chosen from a pool of 22 candidate landing sites, all within Elysium, evaluated during several workshops from 2013-2015. The decision was made based on Elysium’s proximity to the equator (maximum sun for InSight’s solar arrays), low elevation (plenty of atmospheric space for its landing), lack of rocks and slopes (flat enough for the instruments to deploy and work properly), and the subsurface structure (so the digging instruments could burrow easily).
Next, InSight will finish setting up its remaining instruments and begin its full science mission. We can expect to continue receiving image updates from the lander as more milestones are reached. Here’s an extra bonus if you want to feel like you’re “there” with InSight: NASA’s “Experience InSight” interactive web page lets you control a virtual version of the lander in a Martian environment. You can deploy its solar panels, move around a few of its instruments, or just learn about the various parts that make up the mission. There are additionally two virtual cameras, just like the ones onboard the actual craft, enabling you to watch the movements you’re making, just like InSight’s team sees from their control center.
Watch the below video for a recap of InSight’s landing:
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
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Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
