The aim of this session is to share the knowledge and experience gained by all Mars science and exploration programmes, both in Europe and worldwide, to promote synergies among the various missions in operations and development.
We welcome contributions from any field of Mars science (observation or modelling) and exploration (robotic and human), in particular mission status and instrument overviews of latest scientific results and technical developments. These may include latest scientific results and mission overviews, as well as new challenges, for orbiters (Mars Express, ExoMars TGO, Odyssey, MRO, Tianwen-1, Hope), surface assets (Mars Science Laboratory, Mars2020), and future missions: Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Mission, ESCAPADE, and beyond.

Venus, often referred to as Earth's sibling due to its similar size, mass, and heliocentric distance, remains one of the most intriguing and enigmatic planets in our Solar System. Despite these similarities, Venus has followed an evolutionary path that is drastically different, leading to a hostile surface environment, presenting a profound enigma for planetary scientists.

Following decades of limited exploration, Venus is once again in the spotlight of planetary exploration, with an exciting wave of missions set to transform our understanding of this enigmatic world. ESA's EnVision aims to explore Venus, uncovering clues about its geological history and activity, interior structure, atmospheric composition, and long-term climate evolution. Beyond EnVision, other planned space missions (DAVINCI+, VERITAS, Shukrayaan-1, CLOVE), as well as a diverse array of scientific activities, including ground-based observations, laboratory experiments, analogue studies, algorithm development and theoretical modeling are contributing to a comprehensive understanding of Venus, with a growing need for increasingly consistent coupling between processes and physical layers, from the core to the upper atmosphere.

We welcome contributions from all areas of Venus research, including interior processes, surface geology and geomorphology, atmospheric dynamics, laboratory simulations, and past mission data analysis. By bringing together diverse expertise, this session aims to enhance our understanding of Venus' history and current state, while exploring its broader implications for planetary evolution throughout the Solar System and beyond.

Moon exploration has once again become a major objective within the scientific community. Several space agencies are preparing for in situ robotic and human exploration missions (Rashid 3, LUPEX, MAGPIE, Chang’e 7, Chang’e 8, NASA’s CLPS program missions, ESA's PROSPECT package, and Artemis missions).
This session aims to bring together scientific studies of the lunar surface and subsurface that can help pave the way for upcoming space missions. We welcome studies that support the planning of future missions, including—but not necessarily limited to—remote sensing, geological mapping, in situ measurements, laboratory and analog experiments, sample analyses, and modeling. Topics include:
• Resource potential, including the detection and distribution of OH/H₂O, water ice and other volatiles or mineral resources relevant for future utilization
• Use of spectral, thermal, radar, and geophysical data for lunar surface and subsurface characterization
• Mineralogical and geological characterization of key terrains
• Regolith physical and mechanical properties (e.g., grain size, porosity, density, thermal inertia, mechanical strength)

Electromagnetic scattering phenomena play a key role in determining the properties of Solar System surfaces based on observations using different techniques and in a variety of wavelengths ranging from the ultraviolet to the radio. This session will promote a general advancement in the exploitation of observational and experimental techniques to characterize radiative transfer in complex particulate media. Abstracts are solicited on advances in numerical methods to extract relevant information from imagery, photometry, and spectroscopy in solid phase, reference laboratory databases, photometric modeling, interpreting features on planetary surfaces, mixing/unmixing methods, AI and machine learning, software and web service applications.