Mission To Mars Delayed Because Of Leaky Instrument

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4)- The next mission to Mars is on hold indefinitely because of a leaky instrument on a Lockheed Martin spacecraft.

NASA planned to launch a new Mars lander called "InSight" in March 2016. Instead, the spacecraft has been sent back to Colorado due to a leak in a seismometer built by the French Space Agency.

The launch window, based on the relative positions of the planets, is only favorable a few weeks every 26 months, and will likely close before the instrument is fixed.

Lockheed Martin released a statement that reads in part, "Although InSight won't launch in March as planned, we will work closely with NASA to map out the path forward for the spacecraft and its important mission."