MMX, for Martian Moon eXploration, is a mission of the Japanese space agency, JAXA, scheduled for launch into the Martian system at the end of 2026. This mission offers a unique opportunity to study the surface properties of the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos), as well as the dynamics of the regolith on the small bodies.
To achieve this, the MMX probe will deploy a rover on the surface of Phobos after at least 18 months of observation of the moon, the time needed to determine the best landing site. Idefix®, named after the famous travelling companion of two no less famous Gauls, is a rover designed by CNES and the German space agency (DLR) in record time.
Cameras on wheels
Sent as a scout, this little robot will be the first of its kind to attempt to move over a low-gravity surface using wheels. Among other things, it will be equipped with two wheel cameras (WheelCams) mounted under its bodywork, the images of which will help us to understand some of the properties of the surface of Phobos. How will this be done? “By determining, for example, the sinking of the wheel, the traction of the wheel and the morphology of the trench,” explains Naomi Murdoch, a planetary scientist at ISAE-SUPAERO. “This information will be invaluable for understanding the geological history of Phobos and surface processes, as well as being very important for the landing operations of the MMX main probe on Phobos.”
An important step in the project was to check the quality of the images provided by the WheelCams, on a representative surface of Phobos, “with only a few LEDs on the rover’s belly to illuminate the scene”, explains the planetary scientist. “Understanding the ground on Phobos using this scientific instrument will enable us to define a better landing strategy for the probe.” The WheelCams therefore reduce the risks associated with landing. Without quality images to study the ground on Phobos, the landing of the probe responsible for collecting and returning the samples would be more complex.
“Phobos is one of the darkest bodies in the Solar System. So we needed to make sure that the LEDs illuminating the scene would be sufficient to take images while the rover was rolling along. The simulations gave us fairly pessimistic estimates, but this is the kind of case where nothing can replace a well-conducted experiment”, explains Julien Baroukh, systems manager for the Rover MMX project at CNES.
Testing under real conditions
To answer this question, teams from CNES and ISAE-SUPAERO have devised a real-life test using a camera qualification model.
This qualification model is an exact reproduction of a flight WheelCam. It was mounted on the ISAE-SUPAERO test bench designed and built for the needs of the mission in 2021 by two Master of Aerospace Engineering students under the supervision of the Electronics, Optronics and Signal department team. This research equipment recreates the conditions that the MMX rover will observe with the WheelCams during the mission. (click here to find out more about the test bench).
“The WheelCam tests were carried out at ISAE-SUPAERO, in the school’s Department of Electronics, Optronics and Signal (DEOS/SSPA), under the supervision of Naomi Murdoch and in close collaboration with Valérian Lalucaa, who is in charge of the instrument on the CNES side,” explains Alice Amsili, an image processing engineer at ISAE-SUPAERO. “They have enabled us to demonstrate the performance of the cameras that will be on board the MMX mission.”
The next step is now to develop the tools to analyse and interpret the WheelCam images.
This is a new stage for the school’s researchers in this extraordinary scientific adventure.
Regolith is the thin layer of dust that covers planets without an atmosphere or natural satellites. It is one of the subjects of study by Naomi Murdoch, physicist and planetary scientist at ISAE-SUPAERO. To find out more about her research: https://pagespro.isae-supaero.fr/naomi-murdoch/
Naomi Murdoch, Researcher in planetology and space instrumentation
As a researcher in the Space Systems for Planetary Applications (SSPA) team, I am involved in several planetary exploration missions. My research aims to improve our understanding of the physical properties of asteroids and planets, with a particular focus on the behaviour of planetary surfaces in low gravity. This is important for understanding the processes that shape our solar system, preparing planetary space missions and improving the quality of interpretation of data from space instrumentation. 2024 is a big professional year for me, with the award of my Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR), the start of my GRAVITE ERC project this summer, followed by the launch in October of the Hera mission, a European planetary defence mission in which I am very involved.
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