The mysteries lying beyond our planet have puzzled and inspired scientists throughout the centuries. But today, the scientific community (and many others) have their eyes on Mars, where NASA’s InSight lander is set to touch down on the red planet.

The whole thing is going down at 3pm ET today, and you can follow along with the exhilarating descent right here, via NASA:

So why are we headed to Mars, and what are we looking for when we get there?

While the vast majority of us continue to wonder about extraterrestrial life, that isn’t the focus of this mission. Rather, InSight will use an array of instruments to probe the surface of the red planet as well as its interior using seismic investigations.

SPACE!

Source: New feed