Related papers: Mars2020 and Mars Sample Return
Ares is an extension of the TauREx 3 retrieval framework for the Martian atmosphere. Ares is a collection of new atmospheric parameters and forward models, designed for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Nadir and…
It remains an elusive goal to simultaneously model the astrophysics of Solar System accretion while reproducing the mantle chemistry of more than one inner terrestrial planet. Here, we used a multistage core-mantle differentiation model…
The climate of Mars likely evolved from a warmer, wetter early state to the cold, arid current state. However, no solutions for this evolution have previously been found to satisfy the observed geological features and isotopic measurements…
Here we discuss one of the current reservoirs of water on Mars, the regolith and rocks exposed at the surface. This reservoir is characterized by the presence of H_{2}O- and OH- bearing phases that produce a broad absorption at a wavelength…
We describe a computer application designed to analyze hyperspectral data collected by the Compact Infrared Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). The application links the spectral, imaging and mapping perspectives on the eventual CRISM dataset by…
Soil assessment is important for mobile robot planning and navigation on natural and planetary environments. Terramechanic characteristics can be inferred from the thermal behaviour of soils under the influence of sunlight using remote…
Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment having a complex interaction with…
Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) are the primary sources of geomagnetic storms at Earth. Negative out-of-ecliptic component (Bz) of magnetic field in the ICME or its associated sheath region is necessary for it to be…
We present a new crater chronology for Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. This tool can be used to interpret the collisional history of the bodies observed by NASA's Lucy mission. The Lucy mission will visit a total of six Trojan asteroids:…
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has monitored the Martian environment in Gale crater since landing in 2012. This study reports the record of optical depth derived from visible and near-infrared images of the Sun. Aerosol optical…
The successes of previous and current Mars rovers have encouraged space agencies worldwide to pursue additional planetary exploration missions with more ambitious navigation goals. For example, NASA's planned Mars Sample Return mission will…
This white paper proposes that AMBITION, a Comet Nucleus Sample Return mission, be a cornerstone of ESA's Voyage 2050 programme. We summarise some of the most important questions still open in cometary science after the successes of the…
Recycled pulsars are old ($\gtrsim10^{8}$ yr) neutron stars that are descendants from close, interacting stellar systems. In order to understand their evolution and population, we must find and study the largest number possible of recycled…
A novel concept of orbital launch system in which all stages are reusable is presented. The first two stages called Midpoint Delivery System (MPDS) deliver the next stages to a midpoint. A midpoint is defined by an altitude of 100 $km$ to…
Several physical mechanisms are involved in excavating granular materials beneath a vertical jet of gas. These occur, for example, beneath the exhaust plume of a rocket landing on the soil of the Moon or Mars. A series of experiments and…
Chang'E 4 is the first mission to the far side of the Moon and consists of a lander, a rover, and a relay spacecraft. Lander and rover were launched at 18:23 UTC on December 7, 2018 and landed in the von K\'arm\'an crater at 02:26 UTC on…
The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), on board Mars Science Laboratory's (MSL) Curiosity rover, has been measuring ground level particle fluxes along with the radiation dose rate at the surface of Mars since August 2012. Similar to…
NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft is planned to impact the natural satellite of (65803) Didymos, Dimorphos, around 23:14 UTC on 26 September 2022, causing a reduction in its orbital period that will be measurable…
Impact craters are among the most prominent geomorphological features on planetary surfaces and are of substantial significance in planetary science research. Their spatial distribution and morphological characteristics provide critical…
China's Tianwen-2 mission, launched on 29 May 2025, targets the near-Earth object (469219) Kamo`oalewa, an Earth quasi-satellite trapped in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with our planet. Determining the origin of Kamo`oalewa is central to…