VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE (KABC) -- NASA is sending a new spaceship to Mars -- the InSight probe, which is set to launch early next month from Vandenberg Air Force Base on an Atlas V 401 rocket.
The 790-pound InSight lander is the first spaceship dedicated to digging deep below the surface of the red planet. It has a robotic arm that is capable of digging up to 16 feet underground.
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The probe will also measure temblors on the planet, known as "marsquakes."
The May 5 launch window opens at 4:05 a.m. PT. Afterward, the InSight will travel for six months before arriving at its destination. If all goes as planned, it will land on Nov. 26.
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Five other NASA spacecraft are currently operating on or above Mars.
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An artist's rendering of the InSight lander, set to launch May 5, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)