Scientific Goals and Missions - RISE Project

Purpose

The RISE project participates in and contributes to planetary exploration missions for the study of internal structures and evolution of solar system bodies as a hub for Japanese planetary science community, aiming to elucidate the formation of habitable environment on the Earth and possibly planets in other planetary systems.

Missions

The missions of this project are:

1. to contribute to studying observation operation in the proximity of Phobos, orbit determination, ground data processing, and data analysis method by participating in Geodesy Science Strategy Team (GSST) of Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission of JAXA/ISAS based on the heritage of lunar and planetary geodesy in Kaguya and Hayabusa2;
2. to support Hayabusa2 extended mission (Hayabusa2#) to promote Japanese smallbody missions from planetary geodesy and astrodynamics in the vicinity of small-bodies, and develop relevant application techniques; and
3. to support science observations of Ganymede laser altimeter in Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission of ESA under the leadership of JAXA/ISAS, with the priority on MMX and Hayabusa2.

Primary Scientific Goals

The primary scientific goals of this project are:

1. to contribute to revealing the origin of Martian moons by leading MMX Geodesy Science Strategy Team (G-SST) and through providing geodetic products regarding spacecraft orbit dynamics and Phobos shape and constraining the internal structure by its shape, gravity, and rotation;
2. to develop a new methodology for the Hayabusa2# spacecraft operation under the dynamically unique environment around the small and fast-rotating asteroid and
3. to develop scientific research on crustal tectonics of icy satellites toward future science observations in JUICE.

Target Date

End of March 2028