Future Heliospheric System Science Exploration in Japan

Toward the inner Heliospheric system science exploration in the late 2020s, ISAS/JAXA is currently operating the Arase, BepiColombo/Mio, Hinode, and Akatsuki satellites, and Solar-C EUVST is scheduled for launch in the near future. These missions will be linked together with other satellite missions such as Solar-Orbiter, Solar Parker Probe, Cluster, THEMIS, MMS etc. to realize exploration of the inner Heliosphere with unprecedented scale.

In the early 2030s, Japanese Solar Terrestrial Physics group is considering the FACTORS formation-flight satellite mission in order to reveal the energy coupling mechanisms and mass transport between the space and Earth’s atmosphere. In the late 2030s, another formation-flight magnetospheric satellite mission the science target of which includes understanding the cross-scale / cross-region coupling is also under consideration hopefully on orbit at the same time with European future mission Plasma Observatory. These future missions will closely collaborate with NASA’s future GDC and Magnetospheric Constellation missions.

The future Heliospheric system science exploration will be conducted by multiple satellite missions further expanding their observation area while improving the quality of each individual satellite mission. Japanese Solar Terrestrial Physics group will conduct in-situ observation of space plasmas with MMX (Martian Moons Exploration) and MIM(Mars Ice Mapper) in the Martian system and with JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) in the Jovian system. Collaboration between Japanese Solar Physics and Solar Terrestrial Physics groups for considering the future out-of-ecliptic-plane mission is also about to start.

In order to realize the future Heliospheric system science exploration, significant technological development is mandatory. Current status of the technological development in Japan for enabling the future Heliospheric system science exploration will also be presented.