A rover for the JAXA MMX Mission to Phobos

Abstract

The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) is a mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA,to the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos. It will primarily investigate the origin of this moon by bringing samples back from Phobos to Earth and deliver a small (about 25 kg) Rover to the surface. The Rover is a contribution by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Its currently considered scientific payload consists of a thermal mapper (miniRAD), a Raman spectrometer (RAX) a stereo pair of cameras looking forward (NavCAM)and two cameras looking at the interface wheel-surface (WheelCAM) and consequent Phobos’ regolith mechanical properties.The cameras will serve for both, technological and scientific needs. The MMX rover will be delivered from an altitude of <100 m and start uprighting and deploying wheels and a solar generator after having come to rest on the surface. It is planned to operate for three months on Phobos and provide unprecedented science while moving for a few meters to hundreds of meters. MMX will be launched in September 2024 and inserted into Mars orbit in 2025, the Rover delivery and operations are planned for 2026-2027.