Science operation plan of Phobos and Deimos from the MMX spacecraft

The science operations of the spacecraft and remote sensing instruments for the Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission are discussed by the mission operation working team. In this paper, we describe the Phobos observations during the first 1.5 years of the spacecraft’s stay around Mars, and the Deimos observations before leaving the Martian system. In the Phobos observation, the spacecraft will be placed in low-altitude quasi-satellite orbits on the equatorial plane of Phobos and will make high-resolution topographic and spectroscopic observations of the Phobos surface from five different altitudes orbits. The spacecraft will also attempt to observe polar regions of Phobos from a three-dimensional quasi-satellite orbit moving out of the equatorial plane of Phobos. From these observations, we will constrain the origin of Phobos and Deimos and select places for landing site candidates for sample collection. For the Deimos observations, the spacecraft will be injected into two resonant orbits and will perform many flybys to observe the surface of Deimos over as large an area as possible. Graphical Abstract

MIRS: an imaging spectrometer for the MMX mission

The MMX infrared spectrometer (MIRS) is an imaging spectrometer onboard MMX JAXA mission. MMX (Martian Moon eXploration) is scheduled to be launched in 2024 with sample return to Earth in 2029. MIRS is built at LESIA-Paris Observatory in collaboration with four other French laboratories, collaboration and financial support of CNES and close collaboration with JAXA and MELCO. The instrument is designed to fully accomplish MMX’s scientific and measurement objectives. MIRS will remotely provide near-infrared spectral maps of Phobos and Deimos containing compositional diagnostic spectral features that will be used to analyze the surface composition and to support the sampling site selection. MIRS will also study Mars atmosphere, in particular spatial and temporal changes such as clouds, dust and water vapor. Graphical Abstract

Prospects for using near-Earth GNSS as an infrastructure for navigation support of Lunar missions

An increasing number of space agencies consider Moon exploration as a part of national and international space programs. Exploration plans include a distributed network of facilities on and around the Moon; opportunities for “driving force” projects based on the International Space Station program experience; and, on the whole, formation of the “Earth – low lunar orbit – Moon surface” payload traffic flow. The payload needs analysis shows that the cutting-edge Moon exploration program requires high quality navigation services (precise estimation of coordinates and velocity in near-real time). The subject of this paper is the issues of creating a navigation service based on the experience of the Russian segment of ISS and using the existing near-Earth GNSS systems as a navigation infrastructure.

Understanding Reduced Gravity Effects on Early Plant Development Before Attempting Life-Support Farming in the Moon and Mars

Plants are a necessary component of any system of bioregenerative life-support for human space exploration. For this purpose, plants must be capable of surviving and adapting to gravity levels different from the Earth gravity, namely microgravity, as it exists on board of spacecrafts orbiting the Earth, and partial-g, as it exists on the surface of the Moon or Mars. Gravity is a fundamental environmental factor for driving plant growth and development through gravitropism. Exposure to real or simulated microgravity produces a stress response in plants, which show cellular alterations and gene expression reprogramming. Partial-g studies have been performed in the ISS using centrifuges and in ground based facilities, by implementing adaptations in them. Seedlings and cell cultures were used in these studies. The Mars gravity level is capable of stimulating the gravitropic response of the roots and preserving the auxin polar transport. Furthermore, whereas Moon gravity produces alterations comparable, or even stronger than microgravity, the intensity of the alterations found at Mars gravity was milder. An adaptive response has been found in these experiments, showing upregulation of WRKY transcription factors involved in acclimation. This knowledge must be improved by incorporating plants to the coming projects of Moon exploration.

New Approaches to the Design of a Lunar Station for Servicing Automatic and Manned Spacecraft

The purpose of the study was to tackle the problem of creating an orbiting lunar station in a circular low orbit with an altitude of 100 ... 150 km. The study shows that this task should be considered not as the advantage-disadvantage ratio but as the development of a specific design solution - in a methodological design approach. Meanwhile, it is necessary to take into account the strategic importance of the orbiting lunar station for the entire process of the exploration of the Moon. The station should be created not only for manned expeditions but also for automatic spacecraft. The paper describes the methodological approaches to the design of space stations, namely the design methods which imply opportunities and tasks identification, gives examples of applying these methods, points out their shortcomings, including the lack of accounting for changes in design problems. As a result of studying the problem, we propose a design method that takes into account the dynamics of changing the tasks of the designed object, i.e. the tasks that arise during the Moon exploration. The study gives an enlarged description of the method, where the starting point is many different scenarios for the design of an object, i.e. the orbiting lunar station. Relying on the proposed method, we preliminarily designed the station and found that its design determines the design of its modules. The study substantiates the development of several standard (serial) space modules designed to perform basic functions in space flight. The combination of such modules within the framework of an open architecture allows the station to quickly adapt to new tasks and operate for an unlimited time - theoretically, without a time limit.

Scheme of an auxiliary geodetic network on the Moon

It is proposed to create a simple, accurate, low-cost and easy-made coordinate system, which will be used for two main tasks at the initial stage of Moon exploration

Science Operation Plan of Phobos and Deimos From the MMX Spacecraft

The science operations of the spacecraft and remote sensing instruments for the MMX (Martian Moon eXploration) mission are discussed by the mission operation working team. In this paper, we describe the Phobos observations during the first 1.5 years of the spacecraft's stay around Mars, and the Deimos observations before leaving the Martian system. In the Phobos observation, the spacecraft will be placed in low-altitude quasi-satellite orbits on the equatorial plane of Phobos and will make high-resolution topographic and spectroscopic observations of the Phobos surface from five different altitudes orbits. The spacecraft will also attempt to observe polar regions of Phobos from a three-dimensional quasi-satellite orbit moving out of the equatorial plane of Phobos. From these observations, we will constrain the origin of Phobos and Deimos and select places for landing site candidates for sample collection. For the Deimos observations, the spacecraft will be injected into two resonant orbits and will perform many flybys to observe the surface of Deimos over as large an area as possible. (166 words)

The Concept of Labor Activities in the Hypogravital Space of the Moon. Part 2

The actualization of attention to the Moon with the aim of achieving and involving it in the production and economic turnover of the Earth’s civilization is declared as the prevailing trend in modern space activity by the scientific community. The author was a direct participant in the testing of the crew’s actions on the lunar surface in the framework of the domestic program N1/L3 in 1969-1974. He combines the results obtained at that time with half a century of practical experience in outer space at geo-orbital stations. Also he sets out his views on the content, features and means of labor at the initial stage of moon exploration, and also considers the moon as an object of geopolitics.