MMX rover Idefix, ready for in-situ exploration of Phobos

Abstract

The rover IDEFIX is part of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA. MMX is going to explore both martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, and return samples from Phobos back to Earth. IDEFIX is going to be delivered to the surface of Phobos where it will perform in-situ measurements and provide ground truth complementary to orbiter measurements. The payload of IDEFIX consists of a stereo pair of cameras looking ahead (NavCam) to image the area in front of the rover, two cameras looking at the wheel-surface interface (WheelCam) to investigate the properties and dynamics of the regolith, a Raman spectrometer (RAX) to measure the mineralogical composition of the surface material and a radiometer (miniRAD) to measure the surface brightness temperature and determine thermal properties of both regolith and rocks. The cameras will serve for both, scientific and technological needs, including rover navigation and surface characterization to prepare the MMX main spacecraft landing and sampling. The rover will be delivered by the MMX main spacecraft by releasing it from an altitude of about 40 m. 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. IDEFIX is fully integrated and has been delivered to Japan, where it will be attached to the main spacecraft and undergo further tests. MMX is planned to be launched in 2026, the rover delivery to Phobos is currently planned for late 2028 or early 2029. 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), TU Tokyo and JAXA.