Surface science on Phobos with the MMX Rover

Abstract

As part of the Mars Moon eXploration (MMX) mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, which is going to explore both Martian Moons, Phobos and Deimos, and return samples from Phobos back to Earth it is also foreseen to deliver a small (about 25 kg) Rover to the surface of Phobos. The rover will perform in-situ measurements at the surface, characterize the physical and mineralogical properties of the surface material as well as its heterogeneity and provide ground truth for orbiter measurements. The payload of the MMX rover consists of a Raman spectrometer (RAX) to measure the mineralogical composition of the surface material, a stereo pair of cameras looking ahead (NavCam, also used for navigation) to provide the properties of the investigated area, a radiometer (miniRAD) to measure the surface brightness temperature and determine thermal properties of both regolith and rocks, and two cameras looking at the wheel-surface interface (WheelCam) to investigate the properties and dynamics of the regolith. The cameras will, thus, serve for both, technological and scientific needs. The Rover will be delivered by the MMX main spacecraft by releasing it from an altitude of less than 100m. After the descent and bouncing phase, it will upright itself and operate for about 100 days on the surface of Phobos, investigating terrain and mineralogy along its path. MMX is planned to be launched in September 2024, the Rover delivery is currently planned for 2027. The Rover is a contribution by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with additional contributions from INTA (Spain) and JAXA.