Comet Interceptor (Comet-I) is the first Fast track development mission (F1) in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Programme, selected in June 2019. The mission aims to perform multi-point observations to characterize a yet-to-be-identified comet. All space missions to comets so far have visited short-period comets (SPCs). Comet Interceptor will, for the first time, target a long-period comet (LPC), ideally a dynamically new one  (DNC) or even an Interstellar Object (IO).

The mission will investigate the processes of planetesimal formation by evaluating which of the phenomena observed by previous missions, particularly during the rendezvous of Rosetta with Comet 67P, are primordial and which have developed during the many perihelion passages of those SPCs. Specifically, the objectives of Comet Interceptor are:

1) Comet Nucleus Science - What is the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object?

2) Comet Environment Science - What is the composition of the coma, its connection to the nucleus (activity) and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind?”

The mission consists of a main spacecraft (S/C A) and two small probes (B1 and B2). The space segment is under ESA’s responsibility, with OHB Italia as prime contractor and Probe B2 developed by SENER Spain. The scientific instruments for S/C A and Probe B2 are developed by nationally funded consortia, while Probe B1 is provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). A comprehensive suite of instruments is distributed among the S/C A and the probes providing full coverage to the European cometary science community to address the scientific objectives of the mission.

The spacecraft and the probes are expected to be integrated, tested and ready for flight by mid 2028. Few months later, the Comet-I will be launched on Ariane 64 from Kourou in a double launch configuration, together with a co-passenger on the upper position of the dual launch structure. Following separation from the launch vehicle, Comet-I will use its own propulsion system to reach a waiting orbit at the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L2 (SEL2). After a waiting phase at SEL2 limited to up to 4 years and used to select the actual target object, Comet-I will then initiate a transfer phase which could last up to 2 years.

The final fly-by at relative velocities ranging between 10 and 70 km/s represent a single-shot science opportunity for the mission. Therefore, and from the concept of operations viewpoint, the approach and encounter are critical mission phases.  The approach phase will start 60 days before the closest approach (CA) to the comet and with the ground-based navigation aided using the S/C A on-board navigation cameras. In the last 3 days, in order to ensure each spacecraft’s nominal fly-by geometry within the required dispersion error a series of targeting manoeuvres will be executed which will conclude with the release of the two probes (42h and 20h before CA respectively for B1 and B2) and the initialisation of the S/C A autonomous tracking and control functions (13 h before CA). These functions will guide the S/C A autonomously (with no ground intervention) during the fly-by phase with sufficient control authority and agility to react to dust impacts, as well as to the navigation challenges given the uncertainty in target size and activity.

Throughout the encounter phase, the Probes B1 and B2 will relay their scientific data back to the S/C A via the inter-satellite link (S-band) for as long as possible. Following the encounter, the SC-A will downlink to Earth (X-band) the data acquired during the fly-by. This concept of operations enables a combination of a lower risk and guaranteed baseline science return from the more distant spacecraft with higher-risk but high-gain sampling of the inner coma by the releasable probes, which may not necessarily need to survive the encounter for ensuring mission success.

This presentation describes the Comet-I mission design and reports on the overall concept of operations  highlighting the main system level capabilities  to cope with an unknown target that provides an innovative mission concept to enable wider planetary exploration.

How to cite: Larrañaga, J.: The ESA Comet Interceptor Mission , Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-579, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-579, 2026.

ESA's Comet Interceptor mission is designed to fly by a dynamically new comet with three individual spacecraft. This offers a unique opportunity for multi-point measurements of the comet's dust, plasma and magnetic field environment, a first in cometary exploration. Most in-situ plasma science sensors therefore, have been tightly integrated into a suit  Dust, Field and Plasma (DFP) instrument on the ESA-led main spacecraft A and sub-spacecraft B2

On spacecraft A, DFP consists of a magnetometer, a Langmuir and mutual impedance probe, an ion and electron analyser, a dust sensor, and a central data processing unit and electronics box. On spacecraft B2, the instrumentation is limited to a magnetometer and a dust sensor, supply system, central data processing and electronic box. The choice of sensors and their capabilities are such that it maximises synergies and complementarities.

The DFP A and B2 suit instruments are dedicated to the in situ, multi-point study of the multi-phased ionized and dusty environment in the coma of the target dynamically new comet and of its interaction with the surrounding space environment and the Sun. The DFP will measure magnetic field, electric field, plasma parameters (density, temperature, speed), the distribution functions of electrons, ions and energetic neutrals, spacecraft potential and the cometary dust, in order to

- identify boundaries and regions in the cometary environment of a comet and its interaction with the Sun and the solar wind (e.g., bow shock, diamagnetic cavity) and to assess their structure;

- map the dust and plasma phases around the target dynamically, new comet;

- assess the mass, momentum and energy transfer in the cometary environment;

- provide simultaneous magnetic field, plasma and dust measurements to identify the interplay between the ionised and dusty phases around a comet and characterise dusty plasma properties;

- map the solar wind – coma interaction;

- describe and map the (i) electron, (ii) negative and positive ion and (iii) energetic neutral atom distribution functions in the vicinity of the comet and in the interaction region with the solar wind;

- Identify the electron and ion kinetic processes that mediate the solar wind-comet interactions from ion kinetic scales, down to electron scales.

This presentation aims to show the possibilities of  plasma environment diagnostics and the current status  of DFP instrument design and construction, and also presents the observation plans  and challenges of multipoint plasma diagnostics

How to cite: Rothkaehl, H., Andre, N., Auster, U., della Corte, V., Edberg, N., Galand, M., Henri, P., de Keyser, J., Kolmasova, I., Morawski, M., Nilsson, H., Prech, L., Volwerk, M., and Soucek, J.: Dust, Field and Plasma instruments onboard Comet Interceptor: new challenges for pristine comet diagnostics. , Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-955, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-955, 2026.

 Introduction

The purpose of the ESA space mission Comet Interceptor, to be launched in 2029, is to study a Dynamically New Comet (DNC), building upon the significant scientific results of Rosetta, and extend the knowledge of cometary exploration. Exploring DNCs is a challenging task, because the target of the mission must be discovered in advance, according to the standard mission planning timeline. To reach this goal, the spacecraft, after the launch, will reach the L2 Lagrange point where it will wait until journeying onwards to its chosen target. Comet Interceptor includes a main spacecraft (A) and two sub-spacecraft (B1 and B2). DISC, in particular, is part of the Dust, Field and Plasma suite, which will be boarded on the spacecraft A and B2. During the DNC fly-by, DISC will count the dust particles and measure their momentum.

DISC, designed to count individual dust particles and measure their momentum, consists of a single parallelepiped-shaped aluminium box (121x115,5x46 mm³) containing two electronic boards, housed at the bottom of the mechanical box, and the sensing plate, located at the top of the box and exposed to the dust environment. A dust shield is mounted between the sensing plate and the electronics to protect it from hypervelocity dust particles. To save mass and improve efficiency, the dust shield is made of an aerogel layer installed within a lightweight aluminium frame. During the comet fly‑by, dust particles from the coma will impact the sensing plate. The shockwave generated by the impact propagates through the plate and is detected by the PZTs, which convert the mechanical deformation into an electrical signal. DISC acquires signal from the PZTs continuously, but it starts registering the data only when it reaches the threshold level. When the event is triggered, the signal is acquired for 200 microseconds at 1 MHz sampling rate.

As the target of the mission and the flyby speed are not known in advance, it is necessary to cover a wide range of dust particle momentum. Comet Interceptor flyby speed is estimated to be in the range of 10 – 70 km/s. Currently, it is not possible to perform hyper velocity impact test on ground-based facilities. Therefore, the most effective solution is to operate different strategies for the calibration and the performance analysis.

In this work, the performances of DISC were evaluated simulating the impact with high power pulse laser, in addition to the test performed with real projectiles, useful to cover the range of lower speed. This method is based on the correlation proposed by [Pirri, 1977], which allows to correlate the impact pressure of the laser pulse on a surface, to the main operating parameters of the laser: beam radius, pulse time and intensity. The tests were performed on a representative DISC unit realized for this purpose. The results will be scaled on the PFM using the internal calibrator, that will allow the comparison of the instrument response function.

Experimental set-up

To perform the simulation of hyper velocity dust impact with pulsed laser, the development of a specific laboratory set-up was required. These test aim at verify DISC expected performance and further verify the consistency between laboratory test and numerical simulations.

The experimental setup includes two different Nd:YAG pulsed laser, PL2250 and NL300, a vacuum chamber, a beam expander, a converging lens and a 3D automated movement system.  Both lasers have a wavelength of 1064 nm. PL2250 has a pulse time of 80 ps and energy up to 0.1 mJ; Laser NL300 has a pulse time of 6 ns and energy up to 1.2 J.

DISC is mounted on the automated movement system and positioned inside the chamber, operating at the pressure of 10^-6 bar.

The lasers are positioned on an optical bench and the pulses are directed through two different optical paths, into a beam expander which increases the pulse width by a factor of 2.5. The pulse, through a window on the vacuum chamber, is directed into a converging lens that focuses it onto the sensitive surface of DISC. The lens has a focal length of 75 mm. The MGSE is showed in the Fig1.

 Sensing plate characterization

The signal detected by the PZTs depends not only on the impact pressure, but also on the impact location, and therefore the path of the shockwave to reach the PZTs and the interferences with the edges of the sensing plate.

Therefore, a series of test was carried out to map the sensibility of DISC. A customized algorithm was developed to automate the test and control the coordinates of every laser shot. The tests were repeated at different levels of energy and varying the attenuation parameter. The parameters were tuned to obtain in every test signal in the range between the minimum sensibility and the saturation value. A step of 2 mm was set for the scanning. In this case, the laser power was kept at the minimum possible, to minimize the damaging of the sensing plate, between 5 and 15 mJ, according to the attenuation level.

The results obtained are shown in figure 2. The heatmaps represent two different PZTs, with different amplification gains; in this way it is possible to observe a wider range of impact momentum.

 Power tests

Once the sensibility map was acquired, a number of points was selected, to perform further test and characterize the response of DISC at different levels of energy. In this case, the movement system was used to set the coordinates of the point to hit. It was observed a very good sensitivity, detecting energies close to 1 mJ, which is the minimum energy of the laser.

Data show, as reported in figure 3, in the area before the saturation, an almost linear correlation between the peak of the signal (reported in digital numbers) and the energy of the impulse.

Acknowledgement: This work has been funded by the ASI-INAF agreement N. 2023-14-HH.0

How to cite: Ruggiero, G., Della Corte, V., Cozzolino, F., Rotundi, A., Bertini, I., Inno, L., Tonietti, L., Longobardo, A., Grappasonni, C., Sindoni, G., and Ammannito, E.: DISC: Analysis of the performance and calibration strategy., Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-1010, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1010, 2026.

The ability to determine the composition of extraterrestrial material directly in space is fundamental for future planetary and astrobiological research. Mass spectrometry provides a versatile approach for the analysis of micrometeorites, cosmic dust, and particles originating from atmospheres and surfaces of distant planetary bodies.

HANKA (~ Mass Analyzer for Cosmic Applications ) is a next-generation high-resolution mass spectrometer developed for in-situ space applications under strict resource constraints. It represents a versatile payload candidate for CubeSats  up to large-scale missions. HANKA employs an Orbitrap™ electrostatic ion trap analyzer known for exceptional high mass resolution, accuracy and wide mass range (up to 2000 amu).

A laboratory prototype of HANKA has been constructed, and its capability to meet the requirements of high-resolution mass spectrometry has been proved experimentally. Measurements of solid particles produced detailed mass spectra with a resolving power exceeding 100 000 (m/Δm_FWHM)​ at the m/z 200, together with valid mass accuracy and isotopic ratio determination.

In addition to its analytical performance, the instrument was designed with emphasis to minimize the size, weight, and power requirements. A proposed 4U CubeSat configuration of HANKA incorporates a hypervelocity impact ionization source,  the concepts previously demonstrated by the CDA space instrument. Current development efforts to reduce power consumption and size of the electronics.

HANKA laboratory prototype (left), and proposed 4U CubeSat configuration (right).

In summary, HANKA combines high-resolution mass spectrometry and compact design. The instrument has the potential to provide comprehensive chemical characterization of complex space dust and micrometeorite particles during future space missions. The analytical performance and capabilities of the instrument will be demonstrated through experimental results obtained by the laboratory prototype.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by European Union ERA-Chair Project 101186661 ─ SPACE,  and the Czech Science Foundation through grant No. 24-13757L.

References

• Briois C., Thissen R., Thirkell L., et al.; Planet Space Sci. 2016, 131, 33‐45.
• Makarov A.; Anal. Chem. 2000, 72, 1156–1162.
• Sanderink A., Klenner F., Zymak I., et.al.; Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 3621−3628.
• Zymak Y., Zabka J., Polášek M., et al.; al.; Aerospace 2023, 10(6), 522.
• J. Goldsworthy et al., A&A 2003, 409, 1151–1167

How to cite: Malečková, M., Žabka, J., Zymak, I., Spesyvyi, A., Charvát, A., Lebreton, J.-P., and Abel, B.: HANKA: CubeSat Space Dust Analyser, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-564, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-564, 2026.

CIRCE (Centaurs’ Investigation, Reconnaissance and Compositional Exploration) is a mission concept for long-duration close-up exploration of the active Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, developed within the ESA Academy framework. The mission investigates the feasibility of sustained operations around an active icy small body beyond the water ice line through a combination of low-thrust trajectory design, close-proximity operations, and a multi-instrument payload for simultaneous surface, coma, dust, and plasma characterization. Centaurs represent a dynamically transitional population between Kuiper Belt Objects and Jupiter-family comets, preserving key records of icy planetesimal formation and early Solar System evolution (see Figure 1). Despite their scientific importance, no spacecraft mission has yet explored a Centaur in situ.

29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is an exceptional target because it exhibits persistent and episodic activity at heliocentric distances near 6 AU, where water-ice sublimation alone cannot efficiently drive cometary activity. Observations suggest that supervolatile sublimation, crystallization of amorphous water ice, and localized venting processes may contribute to the observed outbursts, but the physical mechanisms governing this activity remain unresolved. Recent ground-based [1] and JWST [2] observations further indicate strong compositional heterogeneity and complex temporal variability in the coma and active regions.

CIRCE aims to constrain the origin and evolution of Centaurs by combining global surface characterization, compositional mapping, coma analysis, and temporal monitoring of activity. The mission science objectives include determining the volatile and isotopic composition of the coma, investigating the mechanisms driving activity beyond the water ice line, characterizing the internal structure and thermal state of the nucleus, and studying the interaction between the coma and the solar wind environment. The proposed payload includes visible imaging systems, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal mapping to characterize surface morphology and thermophysical properties; mass spectrometry to constrain volatile and isotopic composition; a dust impact analyser to investigate ejected material during activity; and plasma instrumentation to detect interactions between the coma and the solar wind. 

The mission concept employs a low-thrust trajectory with a Mars gravity assist, enabling rendezvous with 29P and extended orbital operations around the nucleus. Long-term monitoring from close orbital distances would provide an unprecedented opportunity to observe recurrent outbursts, characterize active regions, and investigate the transition of icy bodies from the outer Solar System into the Jupiter-family comet population. CIRCE would therefore bridge key knowledge gaps between relatively pristine Kuiper Belt objects and evolved inner Solar System comets, while expanding the exploration of primitive small bodies into a population not yet visited by spacecraft.

Figure 1: Schematic overview of the heliocentric distances of the Centaur population, highlighting 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann.

References:

[1] Paganini, Lucas, et al. "Ground-based infrared detections of CO in the Centaur-comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 at 6.26 AU from the Sun." The Astrophysical Journal 766.2 (2013): 100. 

[2] Faggi, Sara, et al. "Heterogeneous outgassing regions identified on active centaur 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1." Nature Astronomy 8.10 (2024): 1237-1245.

How to cite: Saveriano, F., Gurrutxaga, N., Beaumont, M., Goldmann, M., and Reis, M. and the CIRCE Mission Concept Team: CIRCE: A Mission Concept for In Situ Exploration of the Active Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-696, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-696, 2026.

The Next Generation small-body Sample Return (NGSR) is a Japanese strategic large-class science mission candidate in the 2030s. Following Hayabusa, Hayabusa2, and upcoming Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), NGSR is planning to return samples from a Solar System primitive body. The samples returned by Hayabsua2 from the C-type asteroid Ryugu indicated the evolution process from its parent body and the transport of materials in the early Solar System [1]. However, the ultimate origin of the Solar System material and the formation of the first-generation planetesimals still remain unsolved. Thus, the science goals of NGSR include (1) unveiling the origin of the Solar System materials in galactic evolution and (2) unveiling the origin of the Solar System bodies to form planetesimals. To achieve these goals, we propose the NGSR Origins program targeting comets (NGSR-C), D-type asteroids (NGSR-D), and E-type asteroids (NGSR-E). The comet (e.g., 289P/Blanpain) is the target to investigate the origin of materials from pre-solar era and the formation process of planetesimals in the outermost Solar System. The D-type asteroid (e.g., 2001 SK162) is to constrain the evolution of organic matter and the formation process of planetesimals in the outer Solar System. The E-type asteroid (e.g., 4660 Nereus) is to investigate the evolution of materials in the innermost region of the Solar System and the formation process of inner Solar System. NGSR is strongly constrained by use of an H3 rocket and a Deep-Space Orbital Transfer Vehicle (DS-OTV) [2], a newly developing transportation system to be commonly used for many missions.

 The NGSR spacecraft system consists of a DS-OTV as the main spacecraft and a lander for sample collection [2]. A concept study assumes its launch in early half of 2030s, arrival at the target for exploration, and return of samples to Earth within 6~8 years (NGSR-E or -D) to 13 years (NGSR-C). The mission instruments are categorized into four types: (1) remote sensing instruments for characterization of the target body and the landing site selection, including an optical navigation camera, a laser altimeter, and a thermal infrared imager. (2) sample return devices: A bullet and/or pneumatic type sampler on the lander, a kinetic impactor, and a mass spectrometer on the lander to measure volatiles on-site. Most of the collected samples will be transferred to the reentry capsule on the DS-OTV after sampling and rendezvous docking of the lander to the DS-OTV. (3) interior structure measurements: bistatic radar system, and small landing seismometer units deployed onto the surface. (4) other optional instruments to improve the scientific significance of this mission, including a near infrared spectrometer, a 10kg-sized small scientific deployable probe like the Hayabusa2 MASCOT, and a small dust and volatile detector as international collaboration. There remains an opportunity for the other instruments before the final decision of instruments. We will present the mission design, science operation, and instruments at that time.

[1] e.g., Nakamura T. et al. (2022) Science, 90, eabn8671.

[2] Saiki T. et al., (2025) Acta Astronaut., 235, 120-128.

How to cite: Okada, T., Kurokawa, H., Shimaki, Y., Sakatani, N., Fukai, R., Aoki, J., Kebukawa, Y., Kumamoto, A., Tanaka, S., Kawamura, T., Senshu, H., Suetsugu, R., Urakawa, S., Tatsumi, E., Wakita, S., Yumoto, K., Ishizaki, T., Saiki, T., and Tsuda, Y. and the NGSR Science Working Group: Next Generation Small-body Sample Return (NGSR) from primitive bodies as the next ISAS large-class science mission candidate, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-725, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-725, 2026.

INTRODUCTION

The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) is an interplanetary mission to the Main Belt (1); during its journey the MBR Explorer Spacecraft will perform six fly-bys of primordial asteroids and planetary Gravity Assists targeting Venus, Earth and Mars before reaching asteroid 269 Justitia (2). 

MIST-A is the Middle-Wave Infrared Imaging Spectrometer for Target Asteroids (3) aboard EMA. The instrument operates in the 2-5 𝜇m spectral range to study the asteroids’ surface composition and thermo-physical properties. MIST-A is composed of two units: the Optical Head (OH), which includes a telescope equipped with a scanning mirror and a spectrometer, and the Electronics Unit (EU). Mounted on the telescope’s entrance baffle is the Internal Calibration Unit (ICU), consisting of a diffuser and two IR emitters in front of which are placed polystyrene filters.
MIST-A is placed on the -Y side of the MBR with respect to the spacecraft’s Structural Reference Frame (SRF) as represented in Fig. 1. The instrument’s slit is aligned with the Z_𝑆𝑅𝐹-axis and its boresight points along the -Y_𝑆𝑅𝐹-axis, scanning in the X_𝑆𝑅𝐹 direction. Its +Z-axis, towards which the instrument’s radiator is oriented, corresponds with +Z_𝑆𝑅𝐹. 

Fig. 1. MIST-A aboard the MBR Explorer.

MIST-A IN-FLIGHT CALIBRATION

MIST-A’s on-ground calibration campaign will be performed at INAF-IAPS and will cover the characterization of the instrument’s performances and the ICU. The instrument will also undergo in-flight calibrations that are necessary to verify its correct operation and identify any unexpected change or degradation. MIST-A’s first in-flight calibration will happen during EMA’s Early Operations Phase shortly after launch and it will consist of the Internal Calibration carried out through the ICU to study the instrument’s relative spectral, spatial and radiometric performances. MIST-A will also perform in-flight geometric and radiometric calibrations. The main objective of the geometric characterization is to check the boresight's stability and its alignment within the SRF. The radiometric calibration aims to check MIST-A’s responsivity to verify the accuracy of the calibration pipeline that converts the raw data recorded in Digital Numbers (DN) into physical units of spectral radiance (𝑊/m²/𝜇𝑚 · 𝑠𝑟). Both procedures demand the observation of a bright IR source satisfying a specific set of requirements. The geometric calibration requires a target with an angular size 𝛿 ≤ 238 𝜇rad and a phase angle 𝛼 ≤ 90°, while the radiometric needs a large body with 𝛿 ≥ 4.65 mrad and preferably a phase angle 𝛼 ≤ 45°. Planning of both characterizations also has to consider that during the measurements the Sun needs to be kept out of the instrument’s FOV, which provides a requirement on the Sun-Probe-(-Y_𝑆𝑅𝐹-axis) angle 𝛾, corresponding to the boresight orientation, of 𝛾 ≥ 90°. Finally, thermal analyses have shown that a Sun Keep-Out-Zone (KOZ) has to be implemented in order to protect the spacecraft’s subsystems from damage due to Sun exposure; this dictates the constraints for the angle 𝜃 between the Sun-Probe vector and the +Z_𝑆𝑅𝐹-axis (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.  Sun KOZ defined by the allowed values (in green) of the Sun-Probe-(+Z_𝑆𝑅𝐹)-axis 𝜃 angle (deg) as a function of the Solar Distance (AU) of the spacecraft throughout the mission.

Through the development of a Python program, a study was performed for each proposed target of the calibrations to identify the time windows throughout EMA’s journey where all requirements would be met and observations could be performed. Possible targets for the geometric calibration have been identified in Jupiter, Mars, Arcturus and Antares, while for the radiometric calibration the preferred source is the Moon, although Earth, Mars and Venus are valid alternatives.

Data on the location of the spacecraft, the Moon and the planetary targets in the J2000 Sun-centered frame used for the mission have been inferred directly from EMA’s Trajectory file, which has been developed through the SPICE System (5). The stars coordinates have instead been deduced from their distance from the Solar System, their Right Ascension and Declination.

During the analysis the spacecraft’s orientation was fixed with the X_𝑆𝑅𝐹-axis normal to the Sun-Target-Probe plane (Fig. 3), so that the Solar Arrays are kept normal to the Sun, in the most optimal power-positive angle. This configuration is ideal but also the most restrictive, and in case no compatible targets are found it can be modified.

Fig. 3. Orientation of the spacecraft with respect to the Sun-Target-Probe plane during MIST-A’s in-flight calibration measurements.

RESULTS OF THE TARGET SELECTION

Through an ordered analysis that evaluated the compliance to each observation constraint for every proposed target, we found the indicative time windows inside which all requirements would be met thus allowing to perform the calibration with that specific body. These were then compared with the time marks defined for the fly-bys, the gravitational assists and the nine cruise phases performed during the mission. 
Tables in Fig. 4 show the results of the target selection study.

Fig. 4. Results of the target selection for the geometric (top) and radiometric (bottom) calibration, analyzing the available windows at fly-bys and gravity assists (left tables) and during cruise stages (right tables). The green cells point the windows where requirements are met and calibrations can be performed. For the radiometric two cases for the phase angle were considered: the preferable but more restrictive requirement of 𝛼 ≤ 45° and 𝛼 ≤ 90° as a second option.

The study confirmed that both stars can be used as targets for the geometric calibration, as well as Jupiter and Mars. The results of the analysis for the radiometric calibration indicate fewer opportunities, although they show that it should be possible to perform the characterization in two different stages and that the Moon is a viable target, as preferred. Additionally, this study was performed considering particularly constrictive requirements, which may be softened if multiple iterations of the calibrations are needed.

REFERENCES

1. Al-Mazmi et al., ,” AGU, , no. id. P44B-01, 2023.
2. Al-Mazmi et al., ,” COSPAR, , no. b1.1-0036, July 2024.
3. Raponi A., Filacchione G. et al., 2023, LPICo, 2851, 2450.
4. NASA NAIF, https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/spiceconcept.

How to cite: Cencia, C., Redick, R., Alblooshi, H., Pilinski, E., Reed, H., Villa, J., Lamprecht, B., Filacchione, G., and Ciarniello, M.: Target Selection for In-Flight Calibrations of the MIST-A Instrument, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-986, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-986, 2026.

PRIAMOS (PRImordial Asteroid Mission to understand the Origin of the Solar system), one of ten remaining ESA M8 mission candidates, is an asteroid sample return mission that will rendezvous with a D-type Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA), characterize its surface, and return a regolith sample to Earth. Unlike prior sample return missions, PRIAMOS will return rocky material not represented by meteorites and which comes from the un-explored archive of the far-outer solar system. The analyses of the returned sample in ground-based laboratories will pave the way to a holistic understanding of the origin of the solar system, the dynamical processes that shaped its evolution, and the origin of Earth as a habitable planet. Here we will provide the latest state of the mission.

Small solar system bodies are remnants of the solar system’s original protoplanetary disk that did not combine to form the more massive planets. These bodies include asteroids (main belt asteroids and Jupiter’s Trojans), trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), and comets. These objects formed over a wide range of heliocentric distances and have subsequently been distributed across the solar system by dynamical interactions with the giant planets. As such, understanding the provenance and genetic relationships among the solar system’s small bodies is key for constraining the formation and primordial structure of the solar system, and the dynamical events that shaped its subsequent evolution. However, despite their importance, we lack key knowledge about how the distinct small bodies of the solar system are genetically related, how their formation locations varied in time and space, and how their chemical and physical properties have been modified over the history of the solar system. These knowledge gaps reflect. that only a very few of these bodies have been visited by spacecrafts and, in particular, the strong bias in the sampling of these bodies by meteorites and past sample return missions. For instance, while the Hayabusa1 and 2 and OSIRIS-Rex missions have demonstrated the enormous scientific potential of sample return missions, and the enhanced scientific value of carefully curated returned samples over meteorites, they were known to return materials represented by meteorites. These all derive from main belt asteroids and as such predominantly represent objects that formed in the vicinity of Jupiter. As such, the next frontier is to return material from the outer solar system, which until now has remained largely unsampled, but which holds the key to understand how the solar system formed and evolved. Here the case is presented that, owing to their primitive nature, D-type asteroids present objects that formed at much greater heliocentric distance that any meteorite parent body. While their closest meteorite analog are carbonaceous chondrites, D-type material does not seem to be present in our meteorite collections, probably because this friable primitive material does not survive atmospheric entry. Moreover, D-type asteroids are predicted to be scattered TNOs, and so they may have originally formed in the far outer disk and derive from the same population of primordial bodies as comets. Thus, analyzing a D-type sample will make it possible to identify the primordial array of materials present in the protoplanetary disk and to test models of solar system formation and evolution by determining the genetic relationships among the most primitive small bodies of the solar system. For these reasons, we propose PRIAMOS (PRImordial Asteroid Mission to understand the Origin of the Solar system), a sample return mission to a D-type near-Earth asteroid (NEA). PRIAMOS would be the first European-led sample return mission and, for the first time, would return a relatively large mass of outer solar system materials to Earth. The investigation of these materials in ground-based laboratories will be transformative for our understanding of early solar system evolution and will pave the way for building a new holistic model of the solar system.

How to cite: Marschall, R. and Kleine, T. and the PRIAMOS team: ESA M8 candidate PRIAMOS - A sample return mission to a D-Type Near-Earth Asteroid, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-402, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-402, 2026.

The proposed PRIAMOS (PRImordial Asteroid Mission to understand the Origin of the Solar system) mission aims to revolutionize our understanding of the solar system’s formation by returning a pristine sample from a D-type asteroid. PRIAMOS would be the first European-led sample return mission. The scientific analyses of the returned sample will allow the determination of the nature of primordial materials of the solar system, test the modern view of the solar system evolution including an early giant planet instability, and constrain the importance of outer solar system materials as a potential source of water and other volatiles to Earth. The total sample mass needed to address the scientific objectives, for public display, and for long term curation and future analysis is 22 g. The detailed mission concept is presented at this meeting by Marschall et al. [1].

Here, we introduce the APOSSUM system – the Asteroid Payload for Obtaining, Storing, and Sample Return with Utility Module. APOSSUM is an instrument suite designed to collect, safely store, and return the sample to Earth. The APOSSUM comprises four key subsystems: the Brush Wheel System (BWS) for sample acquisition, the Sample Capture and Storage (SCS) system of containment and sealing of the sample, the Earth Reentry Capsule (REC) for safe return to Earth’s surface, and the Data Processing and Electronics (DPE) unit for integrated command, control, and data handling. The BWS employs counter-rotating brushes driven by motors to lift and transport particles from micrometers to centimeters during the touch-and-go (TAG) sampling into the sample catcher of the SCS. The BWS and results from the ongoing development and test campaign are presented at this meeting by Bannemann et al. [2]. The sample catcher is designed with a capacity to safely retain a minimum of 170 cm³ of material. Successful sampling will be monitored by a camera on the BWS as well as in-situ measurement of the electric permittivity in the sample catcher to quantify the sample amount during TAG. Here, we will present the preliminary design of the sample catcher and test measurements of the sample quantification by electric permittivity measurements of analog materials.

Sample contamination control in the APOSSUM is a critical design driver, following the requirement of the return of pristine material. All surfaces in contact with the sample will be manufactured from PEEK (polyether ether ketone). PEEK is chemically robust, resistant to abrasion, exhibits very low outgassing, and is widely used in ultra-clean laboratory environments. After sample collection the sample catcher will be transferred by the SCS system into the REC and hermetically sealed for the duration of the return flight and Earth atmosphere re-entry. The container is designed to retain any evolved volatiles from the sample. The temperature in the container will be monitored to document the sample environment. The REC is tasked with the safe return of the sample to the Earth’s surface. The envisioned design consists of a sphere-conical heatshield with a diameter of 700 mm built from a titanium-aluminium substructure to which the thermal protection shield is mounted. The REC is designed for a return to Earth at up to 12.8 km/s with a passive entry trajectory, and preliminary tests are currently ongoing. Finally, the APOSSUM system is also tasked with the command, control, and data handling of the asteroid remote-sensing instruments [1]. Key data products will be stored with the sample container and returned to Earth for redundancy.

In this presentation, we will describe the current state of the APOSSUM design and first test results of the sample storage process in the system. We will discuss the suitability for asteroid surface material sampling of D-types, and regolith materials more broadly. APOSSUM exemplifies a new era of sample return: a contamination-controlled, robust, and scientifically transformative payload that will deliver the most pristine extraterrestrial material ever returned to Earth.

[1] Marschall et al. (2026) EPSC2026

[2] Bannemann et al. (2026) EPSC2026-542

How to cite: Renggli, C. J., Kleine, T., Marschall, R., Gundlach, B., Plettemeier, D., Grott, M., Tubiana, C., and Gülhan, A. and the APOSSUM team: APOSSUM – Asteroid Payload for Obtaining, Storing, and Sample return with Utility Module for the PRIAMOS mission, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-147, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-147, 2026.

EnVision is ESA’s next mission to Venus and was adopted as part of the ESA Science Programme in January 2024. Thales Alenia Space Itay (TAS-I) was awarded the contract to build the spacecraft in December 2024. The launch is scheduled for the early 2030s, and the start of the science operations at Venus is expected in mid 2030s, following the mission cruise and aerobraking phase around Venus to achieve a low Venus polar orbit.

The scientific objective of EnVision is to provide a holistic view of the planet from its inner core to its upper atmosphere, studying the planets history, activity and climate. EnVision aims to establish the nature and current state of Venus’ geological evolution and its relationship with the atmosphere. EnVision’s overall science objectives are to: (i) characterize the sequence of events that formed the regional and global surface features of Venus, as well as the geodynamic framework that has controlled the release of internal heat over Venus history; (ii) determine how geologically active the planet is today; (iii) establish the interactions between the planet and its atmosphere at present and through time. Furthermore, EnVision will look for evidence of past liquid water on its surface.

The Envision spacecraft will be a roughly rectangular three-axis stabilised satellite, weighing approximately 4.1 tonnes at launch (1.7 tonnes dry mass), measuring approx. 2 m x 2 m x 3 m in stowed configuration, with two deployable solar arrays. It will have a power budget of around 3 kW and a large volume (210 Tbits) of science data to be downlinked to Earth with a fixed 2.54 m diameter High Gain Antenna. Notable characteristics are the high-thrust main engine, the X/X/Ka band TT&C system, and the relatively long aerobraking phase (11 months). The mission profile requires a high thrust (1kN) main engine for orbital manoeuvres. The mission will launch with an Ariane 64 rocket in direct escape, and the Venus orbit insertion will be highly elliptic. The final science orbit will be reached by means of Aerobraking. The Aerobraking phase will be followed by a 2-months instrument in-orbit commissioning phase prior to the science operation phase.

The nominal science phase of the mission will last six Venus cycles (~four Earth years). The NASA S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar contribution is at the time of writing not likely to be included on the mission, and ESA is currently investigating alternative European S-band SAR technologies for the intended targeted surface imaging as well as polarimetric and stereo imaging, radiometry, and altimetry. The high-frequency Subsurface Radar Sounder (SRS) will perform novel sounding of the upper crust in search of material boundaries. The three spectrometers, VenSpec-U, VenSpec-H and VenSpec-M, operating in the UV and Near-IR, will map trace gases, search for volcanic gas plumes above and below the clouds, and map surface emissivity and composition. The Radio Science Experiment (RSE) will exploit the spacecraft Telemetry Tracking and Command (TT&C in Ka-/X bands) system to determine the planet’s gravity field and to sound the structure and composition of the middle atmosphere and cloud layer in radio occultation. All instruments have Venus heritage and have recently passed their Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs).

The Envision mission concept, design and status will be presented, including an overview of on-going technical maturity activities and the next steps in the mission preparation.

How to cite: Pacros, A., Straume, A. G., Rugina, A., Atzei, A., Baroni, M., and Voirin, T.: The EnVision Mission to Venus: mission concept and status, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-1225, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1225, 2026.

 MoonIS (Moon Infrared Spectrometer) is a VIS–NIR spectrometer (0.4–2.3 μm) om  board of  the Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) [1]. Rashid Rover 3 aims to investigate the geology and mineralogy of the southern polar terrain, explore Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs), and characterize the presence and distribution of water ice and hydroxyl on and beneath the lunar surface. The mission will investigate the lunar South Pole region, with launch currently planned not earlier of 2029. MoonIS spectrometer is a heritage of the Ma_MISS instrument on board the Rosalind Franklin rover of the ESA ExoMars mission [2].

Lunar PSRs are considered among the most promising reservoirs of water ice in the inner Solar System and constitute prime targets for sustainable lunar exploration. These permanently shadowed regions act as cold traps for volatiles delivered through cometary and asteroidal impacts, surface–solar wind interactions, and possibly endogenic outgassing processes [3–7]. Although hydrogen-bearing species have been detected, the fine-scale geomorphology, physical state, and spatial distribution of ice within PSRs remain poorly constrained because of the limited spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of current datasets [8–11]. Moreover, the extent to which lunar water ice is exposed at the surface is still uncertain, as its morphology does not exhibit the expected diagnostic characteristics [12–14].

In situ investigations are therefore essential to constrain the abundance, distribution, and origin of lunar polar volatiles, as well as to clarify their implications for the history of water in the Solar System. For this reason, several space agencies are planning rover missions aimed at investigating water ice and the overall surface composition within PSRs, while also paving the way for future human exploration of the Moon.

MoonIS is derived from the Ma_MISS spectrometr on board of  ESA’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, with significant adaptations to its optical head, calibration system, thermomechanical design, and electronics in order to operate under the harsh environmental conditions of the lunar surface. The instrument architecture consists of an optical head mounted on the rover mast and connected, through optical fibers, to a spectrometer unit located inside the rover body. Each fiber is coupled to a dedicated optical element and mapped onto the spectrometer slit, enabling the simultaneous acquisition of multiple spatial elements (“pseudo-pixels”) and the generation of hyperspectral images. The MoonIS optical head is composed of three optical elements specifically designed to maximize spatial coverage and spectral performance. By combining mast scanning and rover motion, the instrument will investigate the terrain surrounding the rover in both illuminated regions and Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs). To enable spectral observations within these extremely dark environments, MoonIS incorporates an onboard illumination system capable of acquiring measurements independently of solar illumination. In addition, the implementation of an external calibration target is being considered to ensure accurate radiometric and spectral calibration throughout the mission.

The primary scientific objectives of MoonIS are to:

• Detect and discriminate between H₂O- and OH-bearing materials;
• Quantify the abundance and spatial distribution of hydrated phases and water ice;
• Map the mineralogical composition of the landing site;
• Identify the major lunar lithological units;
• Detect and quantify key minerals, including pyroxenes, olivines, feldspars, and spinels;
• Characterize mineral assemblages and their spatial variability.

The instrument spectral range (0.4-2.3 micron), spectral resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and spatial sampling have been specifically optimized to achieve these objectives under both illuminated and permanently shadowed conditions. By providing high-quality in situ hyperspectral measurements, MoonIS will deliver critical ground-truth data for the characterization of lunar polar volatiles, significantly improving our understanding of the origin, evolution, and preservation of water on the Moon, while also supporting future robotic and human exploration activities.

Acknowledgments:
This work is supported by ASI–INAF Agreement n. 2024-64-HH.0. The instrument is funded by ASI and manufactured by Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy).

References: [1] De Sanctis, et al. (2025) (EPSC-DPS2025-587). [2] De Sanctis et al. (2017): Astrobiology 17, 6, 7. [3]  McCubbin et al. (2015) American Mineralogist 100: 1668-1707. [4] Honniball et al. (2021) Nature Astronomy 5: 121-127. [5] Pieters et al. (2009) Science, 326, 568–572. [6] Arnold, J. R. (1979) J.G.R. 84, 5659–5668. [7] Wang, J. et al. (2025) P.N.A.S. U.S.A. 122, e2501614122. [8] Hayne, P. O. et al. (2015) Icarus 255, 58–69. [9] Feldman, W. C. et al. Science 281, 1496–1500 (1998). [10] Lucey, P. G. et al. (2014) J.G.R. Planets 119, 1665–1679. [11] Massa et al. (2026) ELS 2026. [12] Ando, J., et al. (2025) P.S.J. 6, 62 (2025). [13] Williams, J.-P. et al. P.S.J. 5, 209 (2024). [14] Mahanti, P. et al. J.A.S.S. 40, 131–148 (2023).

How to cite: De Sanctis, M. C., Altieri, F., Biondi, D., De Angelis, S., Rossi, L., Ciarniello, M., Ferrari, M., Filacchione, G., Formisano, M., Frigeri, A., Galluzzi, V., Massa, G., Raponi, A., Piccioni, G., Ammannito, E., Pepe, R., and Regolini, J.: MoonIS Spectrometer on  RASHID rover 3: investigating the lunar permanently shadowed regions, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-528, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-528, 2026.

Introduction: Laser-induced breakdown spec-troscopy (LIBS) is versatile and is now widely used in the laboratory and in the field on Earth, as well as on the Martian surface for over a decade. This tech-nique has already led to a significant improvement in our knowledge of the geological history and context of the areas explored by the Curiosity and Persever-ance rovers, which are equipped with the ChemCam [1, 2] and SuperCam [3, 4] instruments, respectively. Efforts to develop LIBS for lunar exploration are also emerging, such as with the Chandrayaan 3 mis-sion by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which successfully deployed and collected the first LIBS spectra on the Moon. IRAP and its partners are currently developing μLIBS: a 1.5 kg elemental mapper capable of scanning observations with 30 x 30 LIBS shots at a centimeter-scale work-ing space, with a 100 μm footprint per spot [5]. Sev-eral studies have shown that, under vacuum condi-tions, LIBS produces a weaker signal than that pro-duced under Martian conditions [6], but it is still highly useful for scientific investigation [7]. Rock mapping analysis using LIBS has also been success-fully carried out in laboratory experiments under vacuum and Martian conditions, allowing elemental quantification [8, 9]. However, the study of Chan-drayaan 3 LIBS data suggests that the laser focus could be a challenging factor in such an environ-ment, as many of their spectra contain significant noise and low signal intensity [10].

Methodology: Based on these observations, we are developing a calibration method, the robustness of which we will test with respect to focus variation and geometry. Specifically, we have selected four rock samples which compositional ranges and min-eral assemblages encompasses most common Moon samples. We obtained thin sections of these rocks and measured their composition using X-ray fluores-cence at a microscale (microXRF). The μLIBS pro-totype will perform 30x30 rasters providing ele-mental signals for each ablation spot. A Python rou-tine we have developed enables us to compare these LIBS measurements with microXRF analysis by superimposing a profilometric map of the craters onto the microXRF maps (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Steps of the calibration method. A python pipeline superposes the three images precisely to retrieve crater com-position enabling a direct comparison of the composition measured by both techniques.

Results: The first laboratory experiments using the assembled μLIBS prototype are expected in July 2026. So far, to test this methodology, we used the ChemCam qualification model available at IRAP to create a 10x10 μLIBS map with two shots per spot on a thin section of altered lherzolite in a vacuum chamber at 10⁻⁴ mbar. In both LIBS and microXRF, we used the oxygen signal to normalize to overall signal for each ablation spot. We observed agree-ment between LIBS and microXRF with regard to the major elements (Fe, Mg, Si, Ca, Al and Ti), as well as some of the minor elements (Na and Ni) (Figure 2). Other minor elements observed with mi-croXRF in this sample, such as S, P, Ba and Zn, have a weak signature in the spectrum and could easily be confused with the background noise

As μLIBS laser spot diameter that is three times smaller than ChemCam, we could expect more irra-diance on the target providing a more intense signal that may help with the detection of minor elements. We will also improve our sample characterisation before performing LIBS by combining Elemental Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and XMapTools, a powerful numerical tool for quantitative petrology [11]. Once a μLIBS calibration is established using these cross correlated abundance maps, we plan to vary the experimental conditions, as mentioned ear-lier, specifically the laser focus, to define precision criteria required to perform LIBS on the Moon. To ensure the effectiveness of this method on the select-ed samples, we will also perform LIBS shots using ChemCam with varying laser focus on a homogene-ous basaltic glass. Measuring the variation in com-position according to the distance between the true and optimal laser spot focus will help us understand the variation observed in the next μLIBS map exper-iments.

Figure 2: Comparison of LIBS signal under vacuum and cor-responding XRF quantification with O normalization for Fe and Si.

Conclusion: We are developing a new LIBS instru-ment that is seven times lighter than its predecessors, ChemCam and SuperCam, and capable of scanning samples to perform micro-scale elemental maps. This development builds on the legacy of these two instruments, which have been working on Mars for years. The Moon poses a new challenge for the LIBS technique, as its airless environment is less favoura-ble than the Martian atmosphere. However, we are developing a calibration method by correlating LIBS measurements on natural samples with the composi-tional maps obtained by non-destructive analysis (microXRF, EDS and XMapTools). The final goal is to test the robustness of the LIBS airless calibration with variations in other experimental parameters and define acceptable working conditions. Further results will be presented at the time of the conference.

References: [1] S. Maurice et al., Space Sci. Rev., 2012, [2] R.C. Wiens et al., Space Sci. Rev., 2012, [3] S. Maurice et al., Space Sci. Rev., 2021, [4] R.C. Wiens et al., Space Sci. Rev., 2021, [5] W. Rapin et al., EPSC-DPS, Helsinki, 2025. [6] F. Seel et al., Icarus, 2025, [7] J. Lasue et al. Journal of Geophysi-cal Research: Planets, 2012, [8] Manelski et al., LPSC, 2026, [9] Lee et al, LPSC, 2026, [10] F. Mourlin et al. Spectrochimica acta Part B, 2026 (un-der review). [11] Lanari et al., Computers and Geo-sciences, 2013

How to cite: Mourlin, F., Rapin, W., Maurice, S., Lasue, J., Forni, O., Cousin, A., Meslin, P.-Y., Dubois, B., Cheval, J.-F., Yana, C., Wiens, R. C., Manelski, H., Lee, D. J., Schröder, S., and Krybus, N.: EXPLORING THE CAPABILITIES OF μLIBS, A NEW LIGHTWEIGHT IN-SITU ELEMENTAL MAPPER FOR THE MOON., Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-925, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-925, 2026.

The Máni mission will contribute to the overarching goal of enabling Europeans to explore the Moon by providing high-value and novel information that will assist in mission planning, de-risk landings, and facilitate scientific exploration. This will be achieved through a mapping mission that is designed from its inception to take advantage of recent advances in the field of photoclinometry and photometry.

The Máni mission will be the first mission to employ a targeted multi-angular photoclinometric mapping approach to map key regions of interest of the Lunar surface. We aim to acquire the highest resolution orbital images of the Lunar surface, including the Polar regions, across a wide range of viewing geometries. From these images, we will produce detailed maps of the topography and reflectance properties at a resolution like that of the images. Additionally, through photometric analyses, we will provide sub-pixel information on surface properties down to mm-scale. Uniquely, from the probabilistic nature of the novel data processing employed, mission data products will all be accompanied with a measure of their level of confidence. This implies that future missions can select, e.g., landing sites that are not only predicted to comply with their mission requirements but also have a high level of confidence of complying with their requirements, thus lowering risks and increasing chances for mission success.

The mission data processing is improved relative to already published work by mission members (1) in its integration of high-resolution imagery with available a priori information like laser altimetry data.  It features a computationally efficient and advanced photoclinometric model that accounts for complex illumination and observing geometry. This enables pixel-level resolution in the simultaneous output of both topographic maps and surface reflectance maps. While novel and under ongoing development, the mission data processing approach is validated using available Lunar images.

Exploration and scientific goals

Below, we present a selection of studies that highlight the range of investigations that can be undertaken based on Máni mission data products.

Assessing landing and mission sites of importance for human and robotic exploration

The primary focus of the Máni mission is to provide higher-resolution mapping of potential landing sites and locations of interest for exploration. The high-resolution images (as good as 20 cm/px at 50 km altitude) and topographic maps provided by the Máni mission enable unprecedented identification of hazards such as boulders, craters, and slopes that could jeopardize landing success. In particular, the ability to provide not only an accurate high-resolution topography of candidate landing sites but also assess the level of confidence of this presents a novel ability to not only select sites that are predicted to meet mission/lander requirements but sites that do so with a high probability.

Sites of importance to future human and robotic exploration imposes demanding requirements on the operational orbit of the mission as many of these, e.g. for the Artemis missions, are situated close to the Lunar South Pole (2–4).

Quantifying Earths albedo – a key parameter in climate models

Detailed mapping of the lunar reflectance properties for two key regions, Grimaldi and Crisium, that has historically been used for Earthshine observations (5, 6)  will enhance the value of lunar Earthshine data. It will not only strengthen future earthshine measurements but also enable a transformative reanalysis of archived earthshine data. This will yield more precise global (semi‐hemispheric) albedo estimates and facilitate targeted assessments of polar albedo—a critical parameter given current concerns over ice-cap melt, as well as address the observed decline in terrestrial albedo over a 20-year period.

Effects of space weathering on the micro-texture of Lunar regolith

With the Máni mission we can take a new step forward in efforts to characterize and understand the lunar micro-texture. By deliberately targeting geological units from different ages and levels of maturity, we will be able to decipher the processes creating the regolith and estimate the evolution timescale. The Máni mission will augment these studies by mapping photometric properties at a resolution as good as ~20 cm/px. The high resolution provided by the Máni mission will also enable investigation of how other geological processes – e.g., lunar swirls, crater rays and volcanic flow – affect and modify the surface micro-texture.

Mission and spacecraft

The Máni mapping methodology requires the acquisition of at least 5, preferentially 10, overlapping high-resolution images of a region of interest covering a range of viewing angles separated by more than 100°. Furthermore, at least two illumination angles, separated by at least 20°, must be captured as part of the images acquired of a region of interest. These requirements imply that at least two overflights, acquiring 5 images during each, of the target area separated in time by at least a full Lunar sideral period are needed to acquire the necessary image-data to map a region of interest.

The Máni spacecraft is developed around the single large primary payload of the mission - an optical 300 mm telescope with a panchromatic 2D detector capable of acquiring images of the Lunar surface at a resolution as good or better than 20 cm/pixel at 50 km altitude. A secondary smaller colour imager intended to provide context for the primary images is also included.

References

• I. Fernandes, K. Mosegaard, Planet. Space Sci. 218, 105514 (2022).
• E. Peña-Asensio, Á.-S. Neira-Acosta, J. M. Sánchez-Lozano, Acta Astronaut. 226, 469–478 (2025).
• C. Orgel et al., Planet. Sci. J. 5, 29 (2024).
• S. J. Boazman et al., Icarus. 421, 116240 (2024).
• P. R. Goode et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 48 (2021), doi:10.1029/2021gl094888.
• P. Thejll, H. Gleisner, C. Flynn, Astron. Astrophys. 573, A131 (2015).

How to cite: Frydenvang, J., Losiak, A., Fernandes, I., Karoff, C., Mosegaard, K., Schmidt, F., Thejll, P., Bonnet, P., Kjeldsen, H., Mayorga, I. L., Frandsen, M. T., Nielsen, J. F. D., Gleisner, H., Lancery, H., Andrieu, F., Schiøler, H., Hinse, T. C., and Scott, J.: Máni - a Lunar photoclinometric mapping mission, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-1033, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1033, 2026.

Introduction

The Canadian Lunar Rover hosted a suite of instruments that included the MultiSpectral Imager (MSI), a panchromatic camera developed by CanadenSys Aerospace to characterize regolith and rocks within 1 m of the rover. MSI is meant to acquire multispectral imagery by actively illuminating the surface with six pairs of LEDs spanning the 365–940 nm range, enabling analysis of the microscale texture, structure and mineralogical composition at the lunar surface.

Photogrammetric techniques have been applied to evaluate surface morphology from in situ images collected on the Moon (e.g., [1–3]). With a nominal ground sample distance of 50 µm at its optimal focal distance, MSI images could be used to reconstruct microscale 3D models along a rover’s traverse. The standard approach for 3D modelling using monocular images is structure-from-motion, which also requires large volumes of images acquired from multiple perspectives of a target area. In the context of planetary robotic operations, this would involve significant dedicated rover motion, time, and data bandwidth. Alternatively, a 3D model could be reconstructed from MSI images collected from only two imaging stations using stereophotogrammetry. By registering complementary imagery from other onboard cameras across the same stations, the known camera baseline among LRM instruments can be leveraged to solve for MSI camera poses.

Here we evaluate MSI’s capability to produce microscale point clouds under realistic rover operational conditions by leveraging the known geometric relationship between each imager.

Despite the official cancellation of the mission in March 2026, the capabilities developed to date remain applicable to scientific objectives using similar instrumentation on other robotic missions.

Imaging campaign

A science imaging campaign was conducted with the engineering model (fig. 1) of the rover in October 2025 at the Canadian Space Agency. We integrated 56 images taken by rover cameras of the Lunar Unstructured Scanning Rig (LUSR, shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2), a lunar model designed by CSA to characterize the accuracy of 3D sensors. Cameras included MSI; StereoCam (SCAM), a pair of RGB cameras mounted near the top of the rover with overlapping fields of view; HazCam, a forward- and downward-looking RGB hazard camera with a wide field of view; and NISA-1000, a forward-looking camera mounted near the top of the rover and equipped with a long-pass near infrared filter.

Camera poses were directed toward a region of 50 × 50 cm situated at one corner of the LUSR. The rover was positioned at 15 locations along four radial transects around the selected corner, imaging the target with each camera for which the LUSR was within the field of view (fig. 3).

Figure 1. The lunar rover engineering model next to the LUSR target area.

Figure 2. 3D mesh of the LUSR.

Figure 3. Transects T1-T4 and imaging stations 1 to 15, shown relative to the 3D point cloud of the target area. The imagers used at typical distances from the LUSR are indicated for T2.

Methods

All photogrammetric processing was conducted with the Ames Stereo Pipeline [4]. We first refined the geometric relationship between all cameras through a series of bundle adjustment passes constrained by a digital elevation model (DEM) and by uniformly distributed dense matches. A reference DEM made from StereoCam images was used to orthorectify all images and better constrain the feature matching and stereo correlation steps. Hazcam, MSI and NISA-1000 images were progressively included to the reconstructed scene using multiple “bundle_adjust” iterations. The 3D model was scaled using a set of control points from a handmade calibration target displayed at the center of the scene. We then used the “parallel_stereo” tool to generate a 3D point cloud from two MSI images taken at imaging stations 1 and 2, separated by 5 cm along a single radial transect (T1). For this, camera poses and dense matched features were derived from the previously calibrated camera rig.

We compared our photogrammetry-derived point clouds with a reference mesh of the LUSR made with the MetraScan (Creaform) metrological 3D scanner (see fig. 2). Distance statistics were derived from cloud to mesh (C2M) distances to evaluate each model’s accuracy.

Results

The calibrated camera 3D positions and orientations are shown in figure 4. Residuals of the triangulated features from the rig calibration 3D model are shown in figure 5, with a median reprojection error of 0.31 px, and RMS reprojection error of 0.47 px.

The point cloud resulting from the stereo process contains 9M features and median nominal point spacing of 44.3 μm. A 3D visualization of C2M distances between triangulated features and the LUSR mesh is shown in figure 6. We achieve a median absolute deviation of 173 μm (RMS of 387 μm) . For comparison, the median particle size of Apollo sample returned lunar soils is of 70 μm.

Figure 4. Calibrated camera positions and rotations relative to the triangulated point cloud resulting from the rig calibration process.

Figure 5. Residuals (pixels) for triangulated points from the rig calibration model.

Figure 6. C2M distance (mm) between the stereo point cloud and the reference LUSR mesh.

Conclusion

The MSI can be used to generate point clouds with micrometric spatial resolution by collecting two images with overlap of a target separated by a 5 cm rover repositioning. Our approach relies on the complementarity of multiple instruments onboard the rover to scale the model and constrain the camera poses. In future work, we will evaluate the ability to constrain the MSI poses from a reduced image dataset collected at 1 or 2 imaging stations. We will also test benchmark convolutional neural network feature matching algorithms that may be more robust to the heterogeneous optical properties of our camera rig.

References

[1] Helfenstein and Shepard (1999), Icar 141, 107.

[2] Le Mouélic et al. (2020), Remote Sens. 12(11), 1900.

[3] Guo et al. (2021), Geophys. Res. Lett. 48, e2021GL094931.

[4] Beyer et al. (2018), Earth Space Sci. 5(9), 537-548.

How to cite: Diotte, F., Lemelin, M., A. Cloutis, E., Teti, F., Morisset, C.-E., Gingras, D., and Osinski, G.: Microscale 3D reconstruction of the lunar surface from constrained in situ robotic imaging, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-713, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-713, 2026.

The Mars Magnetosphere, ATmosphere, Ionosphere and Space‑weather SciencE (M‑MATISSE) mission is an ESA Medium‑class (M7) candidate. M‑MATISSE is designed to address one of the most outstanding challenges in Mars science: understanding how the solar wind and space‑weather drivers couple simultaneously to the Martian magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere, and lower atmosphere, and how energy is transferred across these interconnected regions.

The primary scientific objective of M‑MATISSE is to characterize the spatio‑temporal variability of the Martian Magnetosphere–Ionosphere–Thermosphere (M‑I‑T) system, its response to solar‑wind forcing, and the processes governing the dissipation of external energy at Mars. These couplings play a fundamental role in controlling atmospheric escape, auroral activity, radiation penetration, and the long‑term evolution of the Martian atmosphere and climate. In addition, quantifying the space weather and space‑climate environment at Mars is critical for future robotic and human exploration, as it enables improved forecasting of hazardous radiation and plasma conditions.

M‑MATISSE addresses these objectives through three core science themes:

(1) global characterization of M‑I‑T coupling via coordinated measurements of solar‑wind energy input and magnetosphere–ionosphere response;

(2) determination of the radiation environment and the absorption, redistribution, and variability of energy within the M‑I‑T system; and

(3) investigation of ionosphere–lower‑atmosphere coupling, an interface that remains poorly explored but is crucial for understanding solar energetic particle impacts and radio‑wave propagation at Mars.

The mission concept consists of two coordinated orbiters carrying complementary, high‑heritage payloads. Together, they provide a multi‑point observational framework that combines in‑situ plasma measurements with remote sensing of the ionosphere and lower atmosphere, including radio cross‑link observations between spacecraft. This configuration enables simultaneous sampling of the upstream solar wind, the Martian plasma environment, and regions extending deep into the nightside magnetotail, an observational capability not previously achieved at Mars.

Beyond planetary science, M‑MATISSE will provide the heliophysics community with a dedicated solar‑wind monitor at ~1.38-1.66 AU, offering valuable constraints on solar‑wind and solar‑transient propagation in the inner solar system. By linking solar disturbances from interplanetary space down to the Martian surface, M‑MATISSE represents the first mission fully dedicated to planetary space weather at Mars, with transformative implications for both fundamental science and future exploration.

How to cite: Sanchez-Cano, B., Leblanc, F., and Witasse, O. and the M-MATISSE: The M‑MATISSE mission: Exploring planetary space weather at Mars, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-396, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-396, 2026.

Understanding the Martian atmosphere requires direct, vertically resolved measurements of winds. Despite decades of orbital and in situ exploration, wind profiles remain poorly constrained, limiting our ability to validate general circulation models (GCMs), quantify dust-lifting mechanisms, and predict atmospheric variability relevant to entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Existing wind information relies primarily on surface sensors with limited spatial representativeness or on tracer tracking techniques using water vapor and clouds, both of which suffer from incomplete coverage and intrinsic ambiguities. To address this long-standing observational gap, we are developing two complementary Doppler wind lidars dedicated to profiling winds and aerosols in the Martian atmosphere: MADWIL (Mars Doppler Wind Lidar), designed for orbital observations, and MARBLL (Mars Boundary Layer Lidar), a compact surface-based system dedicated to the planetary boundary layer.

Both instruments rely on the same Doppler lidar concept. While MADWIL operates at 532 and 1064 nm, MARBLL only uses the 532 nm wavelength. Both are optimized for backscatter from ubiquitous Martian dust aerosols. Winds are retrieved from the Doppler shift measured at 532 nm using a quadrichannel Mach–Zehnder interferometer (QMZ) spectral analyzer, enabling line-of-sight (LOS) wind retrievals with expected precision on the order of 1 m s⁻¹ and a LOS ambiguity range of approximately ±270 m s⁻¹. Simultaneous aerosol backscatter profiling at 1064 nm provides information on dust and cloud vertical distributions, with polarization-sensitive detection enabling discrimination between aerosol types.

MADWIL has been preselected on ESA LightShip1 and is designed to provide global measurements of horizontal winds and aerosol backscatter from orbit. The instrument concept includes a multiwatt Nd:YAG laser transmitter, a co-aligned SiC telescope optimized to minimize solar background contamination, and a thermally controlled optical bench. MADWIL is expected to retrieve wind profiles from the surface up to ~60 km altitude, depending on atmospheric dust loading, with kilometer-scale vertical resolution. These measurements will constrain atmospheric circulation patterns, wave activity, and dust transport processes from local to planetary scales while providing key inputs for GCM validation and EDL studies.

MARBLL applies this observational capability to the near-surface atmosphere by targeting the Martian boundary layer, where exchanges between the surface and atmosphere control dust lifting, turbulence, and diurnal circulation. The instrument is conceived as a compact and resource-efficient lidar suitable for landed platforms. By continuously profiling winds and aerosols in the first kilometers above the surface, MARBLL will provide unprecedented insight into boundary-layer dynamics and their coupling to the larger-scale circulation observed by MADWIL from orbit.

A laboratory breadboard has been developed to validate the QMZ Doppler measurement principle and establish the performance prediction framework shared by both instruments. In parallel, an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) framework is under development using Mars climate model outputs and realistic aerosol scenarios to assess retrieval performance and support instrument trade-offs in laser energy, telescope aperture, and detector configuration.

Together, MADWIL and MARBLL form a complementary observational strategy spanning the Martian atmosphere from the surface to the middle atmosphere. By combining global orbital mapping with continuous local boundary-layer profiling, these instruments would provide the first comprehensive vertically resolved wind dataset at Mars, establishing a transformational benchmark for understanding Martian atmospheric dynamics, aerosol transport, and climate variability.

How to cite: Montmessin, F., Patel, M., Arruego, I., Gautier, T., Forget, F., Newman, C., Chide, B., Bernardi, P., Bertrand, T., Toledo, D., Stcherbinine, A., Tirsch, D., Lange, L., Holmes, J., Apestigue, V., Leseigneur, Y., Määttänen, A., Fouchet, T., Buey, T., and Rees, J.-M.: Sensing winds on Mars: a new pathway toward local and global measurements, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-339, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-339, 2026.

The Mars Atmosphere Dynamics aNd chEmistry Submillimeter Spectrometer (MADNESS) was selected by ESA for the LightShip-1 mission to address the key science goals of i) Atmospheric circulation and dynamics, ii) Water cycle, clouds and chemistry, and iii) Enabling Mars exploration. Inherited from the flight-proven Submillimetre Wave Instrument (SWI) instrument currently operating aboard the Juice mission to Jupiter, MADNESS will provide repeatable, high-precision measurements of the Martian atmospheric dynamics, thermal structure, and chemical composition from 20 to 120 km altitude, along with monitoring of surface thermal emission.

MADNESS features two spectral channels, covering the 527-635 GHz and 1066-1286 GHz ranges, each equipped with dual spectrometers:

• A broadband autocorrelator spectrometer (ACS) for sounding of multiple species simultaneously,
• A Chirp Transform Spectrometers (CTS) for ultra-high-resolution line profiling.

Using dedicated pointing mechanisms that enable both nadir and limb observations, and targeting key gaseous species (CO, H₂O, H₂O₂, HO₂, O₂, HCl, HF, NO, and their isotopologues), MADNESS will enable unprecedented insights into Mars' circulation, water cycle, and active hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine, and nitrogen chemistry.

Leveraging the Doppler shift of spectral lines, MADNESS will directly and comprehensively survey, for the first time, horizontal wind velocities from 20 to 120 km altitude, with a precision and vertical resolution better than 10 m/s & 10 km. It will simultaneously probe the temperature structure over the same vertical range, with 1 K accuracy. Unaffected by dust opacity and non-local thermodynamical equilibrium (non-LTE) effects, MADNESS will provide the most detailed and seasonally complete climatology of Mars to date. These first-ever co-located measurements of temperature and wind represent an unprecedented dataset for Mars, enabling direct constraints on atmospheric dynamics and facilitating data assimilation into global circulation models to improve predictive understanding of the Martian climate.

MADNESS will also conduct a comprehensive investigation of the Martian water cycle and its associated oxidizing chemistry, through precise vertical profiling of key species. Combined with transport effects derived from wind measurements, these observations will offer critical insights into atmospheric stability and photochemical balance, shedding light on the long-term evolution of Mars' atmosphere.

MADNESS draws on advanced heterodyne receiver designs and compact, low-resource subsystems tailored to Lightship’s mass, power, and data constraints. With strong heritage in submillimeter planetary spectroscopy, our team combines scientific excellence with proven technical capabilities. Spread over seven European countries and Japan, the MADNESS scientific team gathers experts in spacecraft operation planning, submillimeter data analysis, Mars atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, Mars data assimilation, and surface physics, providing a uniquely integrated view of Mars' atmospheric circulation, water cycle, and photochemistry, taking a step beyond our current understanding of the Red Planet and paving the way for future exploration.

How to cite: Fouchet, T., Schulz-Ravanbakhsh, A., Skup, K. R., Murk, A., Wirström, E., Yamada, T., Hübers, H.-W., and Cavalié, T. and the MADNESS Consortium: The Mars Atmosphere Dynamics aNd chEmistry Submillimeter Spectrometer, MADNESS, selected for the ESA LightShip-1 mission to Mars, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-781, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-781, 2026.

Understanding the present-day behavior of water on Mars, including atmosphere–subsurface exchange processes, the possible formation of transient brines, and the stability of shallow subsurface ice, remains one of the major open questions in planetary science. HARPOON (Hydration And Regolith Penetration Observatory On Mars) is a mission concept aimed at investigating how water actively exchanges between the Martian atmosphere and subsurface, and to what extent these processes may lead to the formation of transient liquid phases under present-day Martian conditions. The mission is based on the deployment of a reduced network of penetrator-type probes [1] at different latitudes on Mars, enabling simultaneous atmospheric and subsurface measurements over diurnal and seasonal timescales. Previous presentations of the HARPOON mission focused primarily on the overall mission concept, penetrator architecture, and technical implementation [2]. The present work instead focuses on the scientific objectives of the mission, the proposed atmospheric and subsurface sensor suite, and the mission configurations required to achieve these objectives, including the evaluation of trade-offs associated with the number of probes, latitudinal deployment, measurement sampling strategies, and operational periods needed to characterize water exchange processes and potential transient brine formation on Mars.

REFERENCES:

[1] Ignacio Arruego et al., “Mars environmental networks through the MarsConnect microprobes”, EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 17, EPSC2014-92.

[2] Arruego, I., Apéstigue, V., and Toledo, D. and the MarsConnect and HARPOON teams: HARPOON mission concept: Hydration And Regolith Penetration Observatory On Mars, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025, Helsinki, Finland, 7–12 Sep 2025, EPSC-DPS2025-1604, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1604, 2025.

How to cite: Toledo, D., Arruego, I., and Apéstigue, V. and the MarsConnect and HARPOON teams:  HARPOON mission — Hydration And Regolith Penetration Observatory On Mars —: scientific objectives and sensor suite, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-505, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-505, 2026.

Surface imaging is a key source of planetary science data throughout the solar system. As technology advances and science priorities evolve, novel exploration methods—such as aerial drones (e.g. Ingenuity, Dragonfly) or descent probes (e.g. DAVINCI)—increasingly characterise upcoming planetary science missions, providing new opportunities and challenges for conducting surface imaging.

We present an imaging concept for a wide-angle descent imager to capture downward-looking images with a full hemispherical field of view during a descent to a surface. Hemispherical descent imaging provides a multi-resolution view of a surface with high resolution in a localised area, and lower-resolution contextual information in a large surrounding area, with smooth, continuous transition in resolution, unlike nested orbital images. This wide-angle coverage enables geological analysis that bridges orbital and landed imagery; provides photometry over a wide range of viewing angles; and enables unique 3D terrain reconstruction.

Using field emulation and image simulations, we characterise the data return of a hemispherical descent imager. Close to optimal resolution and coverage can be achieved with relatively few (~5-10) images, suiting the technique to short-lived, high-speed descents. This technique is a compelling option for performing planetary surface imaging from small, low-cost descent probes. We discuss potential use cases and how returned data can enable novel planetary science.

How to cite: Persaud, D. M. and Brydon, G. F.: A concept for hemispherical descent imaging for planetary science, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-160, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-160, 2026.

• Introduction

Lava tubes and impact melt pits, in planetary settings have gained increasing attention during the last years. They have many characteristics that made them suitable locations for the future development of settlements on the Moon or Mars [1]. These systems can be associated with large underground spaces, which present several advantages in comparison to locations exposed to the surface, like protection from radiation and extreme environmental conditions, stable temperatures, solid terrain, and even the possibility of hosting water and other volatiles [2,3].

Unfortunately, accessibility to the caves is difficult, as the only entrances are usually collapsed portions of the roof, which end up creating vertical holes that are difficult to traverse and explore [4]. Within this context, the DaedalusCAM is a protype system thought to explore the collapses leading to lava tube or underground caves, by using a novel hyper-hemispheric camera able to gather information in 360 degrees [5]. After three years of testing the camera in the laboratory and in analogue environments on Earth, some conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of the system to deliver geological results, and its implications for planetary exploration.  

• Data and Methods

In order to evaluate the scientific viability of DaedalusCAM in an extraterrestrial environment, we designed test scenarios in lava tubes in Mount Etna in Italy, and in Lanzarote in Spain. They consisted in comparing geological features measured in the images and 3D models from DaedalusCAM and those from traditional exploration systems like laser scanners and geological field measurements.

Two types of datasets were tested, optical panoramic images deconvolved from DaedalusCAM and from a BLK360 laser scanner, and 3D models reconstructed from the same images using photogrammetry and LiDAR points. All the measurements in the 3D outcrop models were carried out in the VRGS and QGIS software. Finally, hand-made measurements along scanlines and stratigraphic sections were collected to serve as a ground control (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Methodology to evaluate the accuracy of DaedalusCAM.

• Results and discussion

The field campaigns to collect the datasets took place on Mount Etna and Lanzarote, both locations host lava tubes with collapsed roofs, analogue to the lunar and martian scenarios, although smaller in size. The hand-made measurements consisted of collecting attitude and thickness of lava layers along stratigraphic section, and fracture orientations and density along scanlines. Although direct measurements on rocky outcrop theoretically retrieve the most reliable results, this does not seem to be the case in locations dominated by lava flow fields. They usually have low slopes and locally changing values of strike and dip, because they are mostly controlled by the paleotopography. This makes uncertain the identification of dominant trends, especially in unpractical locations like lava tube collapses. This problem also arises when studying fractures, as they are caused by planar isotropic thermal fracturing.

The digital models obtained with the laser scanner overcome these challenges not only by allowing the measurement of unreachable layers near to the top of the collapses, but also because they permit a quick visualization of the layers at a larger scale, resulting in a more accurate interpretation of their average attitude (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Structural measurements on the 3D model from the laser scanner to the left, a pole density and a rose diagram of the stratification to the right.

The DaedalusCAM images were collected along a transect inside the cave and another one outside it. We found two important factors affecting the results of the panoramic camera:  i) proximity to the outcrop, being acquisition distances closer to 5 meters more effective; and ii) illumination conditions, since a diffuse light allow a better resolution while avoiding the saturation and sharp shadows that direct sunlight generates. In the best conditions, the images of DaedalusCAM have enough detail to identify fractures, stratification, and the diverse facies of the lava flows, although the results are not homogeneous across the image. The resolution of the laser scanner was better, especially at distance, allowing the recognition of the same parameters in smaller features. Nevertheless, the large spatial coverage of DaedalusCAM also make it a useful tool for terrain traversing and spatial awareness, since one lense can capture half of a scene, it can provide more information in real time than any other single optical instrument. 

• Conclusions

DaedalusCAM is a versatile system that can be applied not only on robotic system aimed at the exploration of lava tube collapses, but also in other scenarios such as mounted on hoppers, rovers, and even on astronaut suits. Besides, the generation of 3D outcrop models by photogrammetry is particularly useful for mobility and real time spatial awareness. Major challenges remain in traversing difficult terrains and dealing with sharp contrasts in illumination, but DaedalusCAM is likely a part of the solution, one that can be worked upon and integrated in other systems.   

References

Carrer, L., Pozzobon, R., Sauro, F., Castelletti, D., Patterson, G. W., & Bruzzone, L. (2024). Radar evidence of an accessible cave conduit on the Moon below the Mare Tranquillitatis pit. Nature Astronomy, 8(9), 1119-1126. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02302-y

Romio, F. A. P., Lobosco, G., Sauro, F., Pozzobon, R., & Marraffa, A. (2025). Pyroduct: A novel parametric software for the simulation of terrestrial, lunar, and Martian lava tubes. Icarus, 447, 116904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116904

She, X., Wang, J., Xu, W., & Xiao, L. (2024). Research on the impact of extraterrestrial lava tube environments on human survival and countermeasures. Space Habitation., 1(1), 100002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spaceh.2024.100002

Wilcoski, A. X., Hayne, P. O., & Elder, C. M. (2023). Thermal Environments and Volatile Stability Within Lunar Pits and Caves. Journal Of Geophysical Research Planets, 128(7). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007758

Simioni, C. Pernechele, R. Pozzobon, M. Massironi, V. Della Corte, M. Lan-doni, B. Saggin, and D. Scaccabarozzi, (2023). “The Daedalus CAM: The immersive and stereoscopic way for lunar lava tubes exploration”, Internationa Planetary Caves Coference 2023.

How to cite: Suarez-Valencia, J. E., Massironi, M., Pozzobon, R., Casarotto, B., Girolimetto, L., Costa, G., Martini, P., De Donno, C. A., Mucci Beltrami, M., Pernechele, C., Simioni, E., and Scaccabarozzi, D.: Scientific exploration of lava tubes and pits in the solar system, takeaways from the DaedalusCAM concept, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-817, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-817, 2026.

PintaOnWeb is a web-based recent-generation application for interactive and collaborative planning of satellite, space and research missions. This tool is under active development at DLR’s German Space Operations Center (GSOC). PintaOnWeb, in combination with its basic components, the Reactive Planning framework and the Plains library, is already successfully used within GSOC for Earth-orbiting missions and the planning and scheduling of ground-based assets, laying the groundwork to now venture further into the solar system.

A supportive and reliable mission planning system (MPS) is not only non-negotiable during the active mission, but also highly valuable in the phases leading up to the launch: Preparing the mission timeline beforehand can help identify possible weaknesses of the schedule and using the system in training scenarios helps to familiarize engineers and scientists to be able to quickly react in any case of uncertainties. Even before that, the (iterative) development of the planning model is done in close collaboration with the mission engineers and/or mission scientists to maximize the flexibility for adapting the complete planning system to the use-cases of each mission. Configuration capabilities include the modelling of activities, resources, parameters and dependencies, constraints and effects, real-time conflict checking, well defined interfaces for project-specific extensions as well as the possibility to include algorithms of varying complexity and the ability to work with multiple time standards (e.g. Phobos time and UTC).

The system can be automated to a varying degree or operated more interactively, enabling a user with according access rights to schedule and plan by themselves, on the timeline, without requiring any expert knowledge on mission planning. For example, scientists can be allowed to request images or measurements directly in the tool and get real-time feedback on possibly occurring conflicts (e.g. not enough memory space is available). In all cases, users can inspect the planning model and view the current timeline state, using customizable plots to view details of interest, and make manual modifications if necessary.

PintaOnWeb is supporting the MMX (Martian Moons Exploration) mission with a planning system for the IDEFIX rover to explore the Martian moon Phobos (see Figure 1 for an exemplary timeline view for the IDEFIX MPS). During the ongoing development of this MPS, we’ve already detected and overcome some challenges: IDEFIX will use the MMX spacecraft as a relay orbiter during its main operation on Phobos. The data will first travel to a RolBox mounted onto the spacecraft, then it will be transferred to its memory and only then send down to Earth. To tackle this complex data transfer, we focused on a detailed constraint modeling to correctly display the process.

Additionally, we are providing a planning tool for the LUNA analogue facility and for the EDEN-LUNA project. Both systems operate independently, but will have the ability to interact with each other, to support the coordination of utilization activities and personnel. For EDEN-LUNA e.g., it enables the detailed planning of regular operations for the plant cultivation module with its bio-regenerative system, but also special campaigns with astronaut interaction.

We will cover the overall architecture and design of PintaOnWeb, give real-time demonstrations on its functionalities based on planetary and analogue missions (MMX, LUNA and EDEN-LUNA), as well as highlight the challenges we faced during expanding the already existing PintaOnWeb functionality for planetary exploration and address the solutions we found and the benefits we can provide to other future missions exploring the solar system and beyond.

Figure 1: Exemplary timeline/workspace view of the MPS for the IDEFIX rover of the MMX mission.

How to cite: Schöpf, A., Wiebigke, A., Wörle, M. T., Fürbacher, A., Nibler, R., Hartung, J., Mrowka, F., Krause, C., Englert, H., Fantinati, C., Maibaum, M., Lee, J., and Philpot, C.: PintaOnWeb - a Versatile Mission Planning Tool (also) for Planetary Exploration, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-224, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-224, 2026.

Introduction

Exploration of the Martian surface is currently limited by the low spatial coverage achievable with conventional rover architectures. To address this limitation, Tumbleweed Mars has developed its next-generation tumbleweed-bioinspired rover platform into a mission concept consisting of a swarm of wind-driven, spheroidal rovers designed to enable large-scale, in-situ exploration of Mars with minimal energy requirements [1].

The Tumbleweed Mission represents a novel paradigm for scalable large-scale Mars exploration using a fleet of tumbleweed rovers. This abstract summarises the initial results from the April 2026 Atacama Mars-analog Campaign, focused on validating the TRL-6 mobility and surface operations of the rover.

The Tumbleweed Mission

The Tumbleweed platform builds on the pioneering work performed in the early 21st century concerning the design and testing of precursor Tumbleweed rovers [2]. Extending on previous work, Tumbleweed Mars has extensively researched how upgraded box-kite-styled Tumbleweed rovers could enable the investigation of Mars’ atmosphere and ionizing radiation environment [3], search for biosignatures [4], constrain geological history and modern geomorphology [5] and identify future Landing Sites for Human missions to Mars [6]. Thus, the proposed Tumbleweed Mission (figure 1) will accelerate the pace of surface exploration and data acquisition on Mars, and fill the capability gap that exists between orbital and conventional rover platforms.

Figure 1 - Proposed Mission Architecture: mid-air deployment (1), landing (2), rolling towards the equator (3) and stationary phase (4).

The Atacama Campaign

In 2025, Tumbleweed Mars achieved validation of the current box-kite rover spheroidal rover design through a wind tunnel campaign in Aarhus University Planetary Environment Facility supported by Europlanet’s Transnational Access Program [7]. To further validate Martian surface operations, as well as high-quality scientific return during dynamic motions, an analog campaign in the Atacama desert was organised in collaboration with UC Chile, and through funding with TU Delft FAST grant. 

Thus, a 12-day Tumbleweed Martian analog campaign was performed between 23rd March and 3rd April 2026 around the research station Oasis de Niebla Alto Patache. To this end, Tumbleweed Mars developed a 1.5-meter prototype (figure 2), equipped with modular sensors to collect wind, temperature, pressure, and other environmental data. 

Figure 2 - Tumbleweed rover prototype during the Atacama desert testing campaign (April 2026). 

The main research objectives of the campaign were the following:

• Validating long-term and long-distance (12 km) autonomous rover operations in Martian-analog terrain, taking the TRL of the surface operations and mobility subsystems to 6.
• Demonstrating analogous operations of the scientific suite on board a rolling Tumbleweed rover prototype.

The Atacama Desert is by far the driest and oldest desert on Earth and is ideal as a Mars analog, due to the similar surface properties and geomorphological features. Most importantly, for Tumbleweed rovers, which are passively driven by the wind, predictable and regular wind conditions are required. During the southern autumn period in the Atacama desert, local winds maintain a consistent diurnal cycle, with wind in the range of 3-4 m/s during the day and decreasing to 1-2 m/s during the night, which is qualitatively consistent with the diurnal Mars wind regimes. 

Results

During the campaign, the rover successfully achieved a maximum traverse of approximately 12 km. Experimental results established a wind speed threshold for movement on flat ground at 2.6–2.8 m/s, scaling to an estimated 12 m/s in the Martian environment for a 5-meter diameter rover. A key achievement was the autonomous navigation of inclines; the rover successfully climbed slopes of 10 to 15 degrees in gusting conditions up to 5 m/s.

Figure 3 - A 1.5 km traverse guided by a northeastern wind direction against a slope and harsh terrain, with temperature data illustrated along the traverse. 

Structural analysis revealed a critical trade-off between the flexibility required for landing/transit and the rigidity needed for surface operations. The implementation of equidistant clamps on the outer structure significantly reduced side-to-side swaying and increased operational stability. While the system demonstrated high resilience, with single rod breakages failing to impact motion, adjacent failures or extreme terrain traps (e.g., narrow riverbeds or boulders) were identified as primary failure modes. These results provide a foundational dataset for refining autonomous pathfinding and structural design for future Martian deployment. Nevertheless, the prototype showed sustained navigation capability along harsh terrain, upslope, through passive wind-based propulsion (figure 3).

Figure 4 - Dynamic shot from the HQ camera with an outer structure rod visible. 

Onboard instrumentation, including HQ and Wide-Angle (WA) cameras, captured extensive environmental data during a 12 km traverse. Initial analysis of the HQ imagery (figure 4) suggests sufficient resolution for grain-size analysis and geological history mapping, verified against 300g physical regolith samples collected at test sites. However, the campaign highlighted the need to couple shutter speed and gain to the light flux sensor and IMU to mitigate motion-induced artifacts. Environmental sensors successfully recorded temeprature, pressure, light intensity, UV index, and humidity along traverses (figure 3, for GPS and temperature along a traverse).  Further, the "nutation" or wobbling caused by mass distribution offsets will be modeled in Unity simulations to optimize future instrument stability.

In conclusion, the Atacama campaign provided strong evidence that the Tumbleweed rover concept can support long-range, low-energy surface exploration in Mars-analog terrain. The Tumbleweed rover demonstrated robust mobility, autonomous slope-climbing, and stable scientific data collection over a 12 km traverse, while also revealing key design constraints in structure, sensing, and motion stability. The results highlight the value of coupling environmental measurements with rover dynamics to improve future scientific inference, navigation, and payload performance. This marks an important step towards validating a scalable swarm-based mission architecture for distributed, in-situ Mars exploration.

References

[1] Kingsnorth, J. et al., EGU Gen. Assem., EGU24-20149, 2024.

[2] Behar, A. et al., IEEE Aero. Conf., Vol. 1, 2004.

[3] Shanbhag, A. et al., IAC-23, A1.5, 2023.

[4] Shanbhag, A. et al., IAC-23, A1.6, 2023.

[5] Kingsnorth, J. et al., IAC-23, A3.IP, 2023.

[6] Tjokrosetio, D. et al., IAC-23, E5, 2023.

[7] Kingsnorth, J. et al., EPSC-DPS, 2025-1775, 2025. 

How to cite: Kingsnorth, J., de Pinto Balsemão, M., Mazur, B., Pikulić, L., and Itzerott, M.: From the Atacama to Mars: The Tumbleweed Rover’s Analog Campaign to Validate Surface Operations and Scientific Return, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-693, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-693, 2026.

Dwarf planet Ceres is the closest ocean world to Earth. It appears to be rich in water ice and organic material, and its surface shows clear signs of recent, possibly ongoing, geological activity. The presence of such a "wet" body in the asteroid belt is a major surprise. The origin of Ceres is unclear; it might even be a former Kuiper Belt object. A region on Ceres of particular interest is Occator crater with its bright evaporite deposits which signal very recent, if not ongoing, cryovolcanic activity. Our proposed mission CALICO+ (Carbon, Ammonia & Life-Investigations by Ceres Orbiter + lander) will explore Ceres and unravel the secrets of this ocean world. It will investigate Ceres’ internal state, origin and evolution and will aim to answer the fundamental question of whether this enigmatic ocean world ever offered the conditions for life.

The CALICO+ spacecraft will be launched on an Ariane 6.4 and will employ solar-electric propulsion to reach Ceres after a cruise phase of four years. CALICO+ will orbit Ceres and unravel the mysteries of its interior. CALICO+ will reveal subsurface brine deposits and ongoing emissions of water from the surface.

The CALICO+ orbiter science payload consists of seven instruments and a lander. The camera system will obtain high-resolution colour images of the surface and provide context for the other instruments. Recent or ongoing surface activity can be identified at unprecedented resolution with the camera, comparing imagery with Dawn’s snapshot of Ceres’ surface taken some 30 years before the arrival of CALICO+.

An orbit phase of up to two years currently foreseen will provide the impact ionisation mass spectrometer with enough time to sample ejecta from meteoroid bombardment of Ceres’ surface, hence enabling an analysis of Ceres’ surface material from orbit.

The radar sounder will identify subsurface ice layers as well as the spatial extent of any brine reservoirs and hence will contribute to better understanding the possible cryovolcanic processes hypothesized on Ceres.

The hyperspectral infrared imager will characterise Ceres’ surface composition and thermal environment at unprecedented spatial resolution and provide day- and night-time temperatures of Ceres’ surface to constrain activity and measure Ceres’ surface thermophysical properties.

The particle and fields instruments, a magnetometer and an ion energy spectrometer will investigate the exosphere and constrain the existence and extent of any deep subsurface brine reservoirs from their magnetic signatures.

The radio science experiment will characterise the density distribution of the crust, helping identify any brine pockets in the subsurface.

Towards the end of the mission, a landing site in Ceres’ salt deposits in Vinalia Faculae will be selected and a 80 kg microlander will be deployed with the aim of imaging the surface close-up and determining its chemical and molecular composition in situ, potentially identifying organic building blocks in the brine extrusions that form the faculae. The lander’s primary science phase will last three Ceres days (27 h), its primary batteries providing the power to operate its three instruments: a LIBS, a Raman Spectrometer, and a camera. The secondary science phase can be of a similar duration. During the secondary science phase, individual instruments can be operated to perform follow-up investigations based on the outcome of the initial science investigations.

CALICO+ has passed the step-1 down-selection of ESA’s M8 mission proposals and is currently awaiting the results of the step-2 down-selection. As ESA’s M8 mission, CALICO+ would set the scene for ESA’s L4 endeavour to explore another, more distant ocean world – Enceladus.

As a multidisciplinary mission, CALICO+ aims to appeal to as many members of the space and planetary science community as possible. If you are interested in joining the growing CALICO+ consortium, contact one of the authors.

How to cite: Hagermann, A. and Rüsch, O. and the The CALICO+ Consortium: The CALICO+ Mission – Exploring Ocean World Ceres, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-174, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-174, 2026.

Introduction

In 2021, the ESA Voyage 2050 Senior Committee recommended a mission to the “Moons of the Giant Planets” as one of the upcoming ESA Large missions. Subsequently, ESA performed two Concurrent Design Facility studies that explored both Enceladus and Titan as potential landing targets. In 2024, the L4 Expert Committee (EC) released a report recommending Enceladus to be the target [1].

Science Traceability Matrix

An L4 Science Traceability Matrix (STM) has been defined and refined during discussions between ESA, the L4 EC, and the L4 PWG. Its main science themes are:

• (A) Habitability and surface–interior interactions.
• (B) Enceladus interaction with the external environment and the Saturnian system.
• (C) Prebiotic chemistry and biosignature detection.

Each Science Theme is further derived into Science Questions, and then Science Objectives. The STM up until the science objectives can be found on ESA’s Cosmos website [2]. The EC and PWG then derived potential physical parameters and observables that could address each science objective and the potential performances needed. Finally, the PWG identified and traded off existing payload technologies that could be used for compiling a strawman payload. The STM defines what science that shall be done, and ESA wants the community to provide ideas how it can best be achieved. The strawman payload only represents one potential complement that the PWG thought could fulfil as many science objectives as possible, within the available resources, but it does not in any way reflect any kind of down selection of the eventual final L4 payload complement.

Scientifically Attributed Mass Allocation

Initial industrial feasibility studies were already conducted in 2025, showing that, with the assumptions at that time, the available total payload mass of the mission, termed the Scientifically Attributed Mass Allocation (SAMA), is 950 kg. The SAMA encompasses all payload-related components, including the entire lander itself. The SAMA also includes the orbiter propellant needed to perform scientifically interesting plume sampling “flythroughs”, and any additional Saturnian Moon Tour flybys not included in the baselined tour otherwise optimized to reduce delta-V needed to enter orbit around Enceladus. Finally, the orbiter payload mass is also encompassed by the SAMA. A potential split of the SAMA is the following:

• Lander allocation: 600 kg
• Moon Tour flybys and Plume Flythrough Propellant allocation: 230 kg
• Orbiter Payload Mass allocation: 120 kg

While the above SAMA split is baselined for the strawman payload, the mass allocation could be varied as long as the total 950 kg budget is respected. For example, the lander’s battery mass could be decreased, freeing up more mass for flyby propellant or orbiter payloads, at the expense of surface operation time. ESA notes that the assumptions resulting in a SAMA of 950 kg may change going forward.

Strawman Payload

The orbiter strawman payload option A and B are presented below. The main difference between them is that option A has a more extensive plasma payload suite and a more complex camera suite, while option B has a reduced plasma suite, simplified camera suite, but adding a VIS-IR spectrometer instead:

Table 1: Orbiter Strawman Payload Options

Table 2 below shows the two identified strawman payload options for the lander payload complement. The main difference between them is that Option A has an expanded Ice bulk and gas sample mass spectrometer along with a microfluidics system, Option B has a descoped ice bulk mass spectrometer with a Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy payload instead. Both options feature imagers and compact surface sensors, along with a sampling handling system.

Table 2: Lander Strawman Payload Options

Summary and Conclusions

A few potential strawman payload complements have been presented which will be used for accommodation constraints by the industry in the second round of feasibility studies starting in June 2026. These strawman payloads may also be used to identify potential technological developments needed in order to mature it sufficiently by the eventual call for the L4 payloads. The L4 call for payloads is planned no earlier than end of 2027, and thus potential payload providers should already now start to get ready to define a credible plan for their payload to achieve TRL 6 by mission adoption.

An L4 Payload Community Workshop is being planned for December 8^th-10^th at ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

Acknowledgements

The ESA L4 team would like to thank the efforts of the L4 Payload Working Group and L4 Expert Committee.

References

[1] Martins, Z. et al.: Report of the Expert Committee for the Large-class mission in ESA’s Voyage 2050 plan covering the science theme “Moons of the Giant Planets”, , 2023.

[2] ESA Science Directorate.: Science Traceability Matrix (STM), 2026.  URL: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/l4/science-traceability-matrix#

How to cite: Ordoubadian, B., Bründl, T.-M., Helbert, J., Haag, M., Wittig, S., and Linder, M.: Defining the Strawman Payload for ESA’s L4 Mission to Enceladus, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-499, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-499, 2026.

The recently announced L4 program is intended to be a flagship ESA mission that includes the Enceladus orbiter and lander modules with the capability of in-situ detection of prebiotic complex organic molecules (COMs) in the water ice. The preparatory study of the L4 payload [1], [2] defines an ultra-high resolution, up to mass-defect detection, Orbitrap-based mass spectrometer [3]that allows unambiguous identification of detected molecules by their exact molecular mass and isotopic pattern [4]. The Orbitrap-based spectrometer with the compatible laser ablation surface sampling system optimized for water ice, and laser parameters matching the Orbitrap detector operation sequence are suggested as key devices for the L4 payload.

The laser development process must include a comparative study of the laser spectrum, pulse duration, and energy, to ensure detection of ions by the Orbitrap system, with optimal ion signal intensity, stability, and minimized discrimination of the sample compounds. This research will provide input data for the design of the minimalistic architecture laser system with optimized power, mass budget, and mergeable with the actual high TRL Orbitrap mass spectrometer, and pulse durations and wavelengths matching water ablation requirements.

The definition of the L4-compatible laser requires laboratory measurements of the composition of the water ice samples with traces of Enceladus-relevant minerals and COMs, with the developed Laser-Orbitrap system, and verification of the possibility to adjust mass spectrometers with the resulting ion source. Parameters of the laser plasma are required to be adjusted to provide optimal ion bunch charge and pulse duration to utilize the detector dynamic range, while avoiding saturation and resulting nonlinear effects. The ion source time and kinetic energy structure defines the ion trapping (squeezing) [5] process, which may affect isotopic ratio measurement accuracy, and so must be adjusted and verified. Currently available laser systems are neither optimized to work with Orbitrap (pumping, pulse duration, and repetition rate requirements), remaining at low power and mass budget, nor is the absorption spectrum optimal for water ice. A simple diode-pumped solid-state laser with an active Q-switch with a fundamental medium emission spectrum is an optimal base for the development of such an Orbitrap-compatible sampling system.

As a system performance evaluation and calibration tool, a recently developed multi-parametric Orbitrap output signal processing and analysis software will be used to verify the resulting performance and stability of parameters.

Figure 1 – Concept of the laser ablation ice surface sampling for Orbitrap-based mass analyzer

The joint team of the ELI ERIC, the European largest laser and laser-driven radiation facility, with the group of Professor Bern Abel (Leipzig University and Heyrovsky Institute, Prague), will deliver a prototype of the laser optimized for Enceladus surface and Orbitrap detector, combining its unique experience on icy moon exploration, laser and radiation technology development. The proposed multi-institutional work group has demonstrated experience with the development of the best-in-class and world’s most intense lasers, and participation in space missions (Cassini-Huygens and Europa Clipper mission teams). Technical and research capabilities of ELI ERIC, on top of laser systems and laboratories, include unique radiation sources representing the radiation environment of Saturn’s radiation belts, and instrument development support infrastructure, such as clean rooms, optical, vacuum, and thermal validation instrumentation.

References

[1]  V. A. Martins, “Report of the Expert Committee for the Large-class mission in ESA’s Voyage 2050 plan covering the science theme ‘Moons of the Giant Planets,’” 2025.

[2]  J. Helbert, T.-M. Bründl, M. Haag, M. Lindner, B. Ordoubadian, and S. Wittig, “The Mission to Enceladus – The ESA L4 mission ,” Jul. 09, 2025. doi: 10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1307.

[3]  I. Zymak et al., “A High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer for the Experimental Study of the Gas Composition in Planetary Environments: First Laboratory Results,” Aerospace, vol. 10, no. 6, 2023, doi: 10.3390/aerospace10060522.

[4]  F. Klenner et al., “Developing a Laser Induced Liquid Beam Ion Desorption Spectral Database as Reference for Spaceborne Mass Spectrometers,” Earth and Space Science, vol. 9, no. 9, p. e2022EA002313, Sep. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002313.

[5]  Q. Hu, R. J. Noll, H. Li, A. Makarov, M. Hardman, and R. Graham Cooks, “The Orbitrap: a new mass spectrometer,” Journal of Mass Spectrometry, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 430–443, Apr. 2005, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.856.

How to cite: Zymak, I., Green, T., Lebreton, J.-P., Maleckova, M., Žabka, J., Charvat, A., and Abel, B.: Laser development and research facility capabilities for the L4 mission at ELI Beamlines, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-942, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-942, 2026.

How to cite: Gambacorta, L., Benedikter, A., Neumann, W., Marx, V., Stark, A., Jäger, M., Hußmann, H., Wickhusen, K., Cassola, M.-R., Oberst, J., Vossiek, M., and Krieger, G.: Design and performances of a radar-based orbit determinationconcept aimed at Enceladus, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-1344, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1344, 2026.

Cosmic dust, icy grains, and planetary surface materials preserve fundamental information on the formation and evolution of planetary bodies and the Solar System. Their elemental, isotopic, and molecular compositions provide insight into composition, and potentially prebiotic chemistry. However, high-resolution in situ compositional analysis under the strict mass, power, and volume constraints of space missions remains a major technological challenge.
This contribution presents recent developments in compact Orbitrap-based mass spectrometry for future orbital and surface exploration missions. The focus is on HANKA (High-resolution mass Analyzer for Nano-scale Kinetic Astro materials), a compact high-resolution mass spectrometer designed for both dust impact analysis and laser-ablation-based surface investigations. 
Fast control electronics and adaptive acquisition software allow real-time optimization of ion injection and transient recording, enabling single-shot measurements of elemental and isotopic signatures from individual particles and surface targets. The resulting spectra demonstrate resolving powers exceeding R > 100,000 together with high dynamic range and trace-species sensitivity, as well as isotope quantification.
The presentation will discuss the applicability of compact Orbitrap systems for both orbiter and lander platforms. For orbital missions, emphasis will be placed on high-resolution dust and ice particle analysis, while for landed missions the capability for direct mineral and surface material characterization using laser ablation ionization will be highlighted. Particular attention will be given to instrument miniaturization, robustness, packaging, and overall size constraints relevant for future planetary missions.
A further focus will be placed on SELINA, a hypervelocity laboratory ice-particle accelerator developed to reproduce realistic dust and ice impact conditions relevant for future orbiter missions and instrument calibration.
Finally, the current state-of-the-art of Orbitrap technology within the Prague group, associated technology readiness levels (TRLs), and possible applications for future planetary missions, including L4 Enceladus orbiter and lander concepts, will be outlined.

How to cite: Abel, B., Zabka, J., Charvat, A., Maleckova, M., Zymak, I., and Spesyvyi, A.: Towards Compact High-Resolution Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry for Orbital and Surface Planetary Exploration, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-203, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-203, 2026.

The search for biosignatures on extraterrestrial bodies requires advanced analytical capabilities within the constraints of miniaturized space payloads. We present the Life Marker Chip (LMC_OOL), a photonic integrated circuit biosensor designed for in-situ detection of biomolecules on future planetary exploration missions.

LMC_OOL is based on miniaturized photonic waveguide technology, integrating an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (aMZI) sensor element smaller than 0.1 mm² on a chip. Despite its minute size, the aMZI achieves refractive index sensitivity of 10⁻⁹ refractive index units, enabling label-free detection of biomolecules through surface receptor binding. By functionalizing the sensor surface with target-specific receptors such as antibodies, LMC_OOL provides highly selective and sensitive detection of virtually any soluble molecule with an available receptor. Performance has been demonstrated for molecules ranging from amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to nucleic acids with detection limits down to the parts-per-trillion domain.

LMC_OOL's primary mission application is ESA's L4 flagship mission to detect biomarkers on Enceladus' surface. However, the instrument's compact footprint, low power requirements, and versatility make it ideally suited for deployment on multiple platform architectures. I will discuss opportunities for integration into CubeSats for near-Earth orbital astrobiology studies, lander payloads for planetary surface exploration, and potential applications in life sciences and medical diagnostics on crewed missions.

To advance LMC_OOL toward spaceflight readiness, we are conducting various activities, such as radiation tolerance testing, novel Molecularly Imprinted Polymer receptor development, and optimizing the technology for operation in harsh extraterrestrial environments. This work demonstrates how miniature photonic biosensors can enable transformative capabilities for Solar System exploration across multiple mission architectures and scientific objectives.

How to cite: Ligterink, N. F. W. and the (Origin of) Life Marker Chip Team: The Next-Generation Life Marker Chip: A Miniaturized Photonic Biosensor for Planetary Exploration and Astrobiology, Europlanet Science Congress 2026, The Hague, The Netherlands, 6–11 Sep 2026, EPSC2026-265, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-265, 2026.