Anxiety builds as Mars InSight spacecraft prepares to land on the red planet Monday

With just a day to go, NASA’s InSight spacecraft is aiming for a bull’s-eye touchdown on Mars.

The journey of six months and 300 million miles (482 million kilometres) comes to a precarious grand finale Monday afternoon.

Coverage of Mars on Globalnews.ca:

0:49 NASA’s InSight lander to study interior of Mars

• NASA’s InSight lander to study interior of Mars
• Mars Insight Lander set to touch down on Red Planet
• Space Talk with Scott: NASA’s next mission to Mars
• U of M astronomy instructor talks Mars
• Mars reaches its closest approach to Earth in 15 years

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The robotic geologist named InSight must go from 12,300 mph (19,800 kilometres) to zero in six minutes flat, as it pierces the Martian atmosphere, pops out a parachute, fires its descent engines and lands on three legs.

It is NASA’s first attempt to land on Mars in six years, and anxiety is building.

READ MORE: NASA’s Mars Insight lander is set to dig into the red planet and listen for quakes

Earth’s overall success rate at Mars is 40 per cent. But the U.S. has pulled off seven successful Mars landings in the past three decades.

With only one failed touchdown, it’s an enviable record. InSight could hand NASA its eighth win.

LISTEN: Dan Riskin on NASA’s InSight project