NASA has given the "Go" signal for Lockheed Martin to build the spacecraft that will be used in the 2016 Mars Mission. Lockheed will now move forward with its plan to build the "InSight" spacecraft.

The 2016 Mars Launch will take place in March. The InSight spacecraft is expected to land on Mars by September.

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Once the spacecraft is on the planet's surface, it will deploy various science instruments, including drills built by France and Germany. The drilling operation will enable scientists to learn more about Mars' interior.

Tom Hoffman, InSight's project manager, is confident the necessary hardware and software integration will proceed smoothly.

The planned spacecraft is based on NASA's previous Phoenix Mars Lander that collected and studied ice and soil samples in the northern part of Mars in 2008. This time, the mission will be to study Mars' interior zone, which includes the crust, mantle and core.

InSight project manager Stu Spath said they will include as many Phoenix features as they can in the InSight spacecraft. InSight will be modified in order for the spacecraft to achieve its misson objectives.

These modifications will take into account that the InSight mission will last for 630 days. The 2016 Mars launch will also be the first time California will serve as a launching pad for an inter-planetary mission, NASA reported.

Success of the InSight mission will bring NASA closer to its goal of sending a humans to Mars by 2030.

According to the European Space Agency, the InSight spacecraft will consist of two parts: an orbiter and a Lander module. Once the InSight spacecraft reaches its destination, the two parts will separate.

The orbiter will carry various scientific equipment made by Russia and European countries. The equipment will monitor the origin and production of various Martian gases such as methane that can maintain life. Both the Lander and Orbiter will be in communication with each other.

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