00:00In the coming years, fragments of Phobos and Deimos, the enigmatic moons of Mars, are set
00:11to make their way to Earth, thanks to an ambitious mission spearheaded by the Japan Aerospace
00:16Exploration Agency, JAXA.
00:19This groundbreaking endeavor, dubbed the Martian Moons Exploration, MMX, mission, will see
00:25a robotic spacecraft dispatched to investigate these celestial bodies throughout the 2020s.
00:32Masaaki Fujimoto, a professor at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences and the
00:38leader of the MMX mission team, outlines the mission's goal, to land on Phobos and collect
00:43samples weighing at least 10 grams from depths exceeding 2 centimeters below its surface.
00:50By analyzing these samples back on Earth, scientists aim to unravel the mysteries surrounding
00:55the asteroid that contributed to the moon's formation.
00:59Although Deimos will primarily be observed through imaging, combining this data with
01:03detailed terrain information from Phobos is expected to significantly enhance our understanding
01:08of its origins.
01:11The mission is slated for launch in September 2024, optimally timed to coincide with the
01:16period when Earth and Mars are at their closest.
01:20A secondary objective of the mission is to analyze the environmental conditions on and
01:25around Mars' moons.
01:27Unlike asteroids adrift in space, Phobos is subject to unique space weathering processes.
01:34Impact events on its surface eject dust particles that don't simply drift away but instead orbit
01:39Mars and eventually settle back on Phobos, contributing to its thick regolith layer.
01:46Understanding this phenomenon will provide valuable insights into the characteristics
01:50of the samples that will be returned to Earth.
01:53The spacecraft is expected to arrive at Mars in 2025, where it will conduct its research
01:59over three years before heading back to Earth, with an anticipated return date in July 2029.
02:07To achieve its objectives, the probe will be equipped with an array of sophisticated
02:11instruments, including a Neutron Gamma-ray Spectrometer NGRS, a Near-Infrared Spectrometer
02:17NIRS, a Wide-Angle Multichannel Camera WAM, a Telescopic Camera TL, a Circum-Martian Dust
02:25Monitor CMDM, a Mass Spectrum Analyzer MSA, and a Light Detection and Ranging LIDAR instrument.
Comentarios