The MMX Rover IDEFIX: Getting ready for launch and preparing Science Operations

Abstract

The Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, is going to explore the martian moons Phobos and Deimos. Both moons will be investigated remotely from the MMX mother spacecraft, which will also collect samples from the surface of Phobos, and a small rover, IDEFIX, will be delivered to Phobos surface. The Rover carries a scientific payload of four instruments: RAX, a Raman spectrometer to measure the mineralogical composition of the surface material, miniRAD a radiometer measuring the surface brightness temperature of both regolith and rocks, NavCam, a stereo pair of cameras looking ahead to image the terrain and also support navigation,and two WheelCams looking at the wheel-surface interface, and thus investigating the properties and dynamics of the regolith. The cameras, will serve for both, technological and scientific needs. Landing of the rover is foreseen in late 2028, and will take place during the rehearsal of the first landing operations of the main spacecraft. IDEFIX will be released from an altitude of about 40 m, fall to the surface, bounce a few minutes, upright itself and drive and carry out scientific investigations for about 100 days. The flight model of the rover has been delivered to JAXA/MELCO where it is going to be integrated to the main spacecraft and will undergo further qualification and functional tests. Operational sequences, e.g. defining the interplay between locomotion and science instruments are currently being prepared. Launch of the MMX mission is planned for October 2026. The Rover is a contribution by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with additional contributions from INTA and Univ. Valladolid (Spain) as well as U. Tokyo and JAXA.