Countdown begins: NASA's InSight to land on Mars today. Here's how to watch it LIVE

Washington, Nov 26: After a six-month space cruise, US-based space agency NASA's Mars InSight lander, is due to arrive on the Red Planet's surface on Monday night. Its landing won't be quite as nail-biting as Curiosity's, but it is still risky, said the mission's deputy lead, Sue Smrekar, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

It's going to use seismometers to study the planet's interior so we can learn more about how it formed and why it's so different from Earth, BBC reported on Sunday.

Its landing, at around 20:00 GMT, will make it the first US robot to visit the planet since Curiosity in 2012.

What is InSight Lander?

Launched on May 5, 2018, InSight could be the U.S. agency's first landing on Mars since Curiosity touched down in 2012. NASA describes InSight Lander as the first outer space robotic explorer designed to give the billions-years-old Mars a "thorough checkup" by studying its crust, mantle and core.

In 2016, the European Schiaparelli lander, the only spacecraft to attempt to land on the planet since Curiosity, crashed and burned. If the Mars InSight landing succeeds, it will be the first spacecraft to study the Red Planet's inner secrets.

About 80 live viewing events for the public to watch the InSight landing will take place around the world. It will be at 1.30 am on Tuesday in India.

People from around the world will be able to watch the event live on NASA Television, the agency's website and social media platforms, including on YouTube.