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Lunar rover operations present unique specificities compared to other spacecraft operations. Preparing for the 14-day surface exploration phase of the Rashid-1 rover mission required developing new concepts, designs and tools to enable the mission goals and maximize its scientific return. The Emirates Lunar Rover was set to demonstrate enabling scientific capabilities on the lunar surface by hosting scientific payloads on a small 10 kg platform. It possesses mobility and other operational capabilities to provide science teams with varied sampling, imaging, and sensing opportunities. The operation of the rover systems and the science payloads was to be performed in tandem within the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre mission control centre for rapid decision-making and maximizing lunar surface exploration around the landing site during the short mission duration. This paper focuses on the operational design and the mission rehearsals performed by the Emirates Lunar Rover team in preparation of the lunar landing. With the goal of maximizing the science outcome of the mission, we show how the operations processes were continuously improved against the issues and challenges encountered during the training process and long duration rehearsals performed as preparation for the actual operations. This paper discusses these processes and provides analysis, down to the command and telemetry level, on the performance of the operations team to share lessons learned to improve future lunar rover operations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmosphere of Mars has been studied for many years now by a long series of missions. The paper focuses on the results obtained by two of these that are led by European researchers overseen by the European Space Agency, i.e., Mars Express which was launched in 2003 and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter launched in 2016. Both missions are still providing high-quality data about the atmosphere of Mars, such as abundances of its key species – CO2, CO, H2O, O3 - playing an important role in the different cycles existing on the planet, as well as other trace gases – O2 (mixing ratio of 3.1 to 5.8 × 10−3 above 90 km), the recently discovered HCl (up to 4 ppbv below 30 km), and the elusive CH4 (stringent detection limit of 20 pptv). Some instruments are also sensitive enough to provide information on isotopologues of the key elements and have delivered for some of these the first and unique vertical profiles available today ( δ 13 C and δ 18 O in CO2 and CO, D/H, δ 17 O and δ 18 O in water vapour). The paper retraces the history of the exploration of the Martian atmosphere putting the results from both missions in perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rashid-1 rover, being the main component of the Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), was launched in late 2022 on-board the Hakuto lunar lander. The scientific objectives of the rover were to investigate the regolith formations of our natural satellite and analyze the geology of its landing area. To perform its investigations, Rashid-1 carried two wide-angle cameras (CAM-1 and CAM-2) and a narrow-angle microscope camera (CAM-M) equipped with Bayer color filter arrays. The mission was however unsuccessful due to a lander failure during lunar descent which caused the loss of the payload. Despite this drawback, significant insights into exploration rover imaging have been gained through the extensive work done prior to launch to achieve the highest image quality from the on-board cameras, and the resulting CASPIP software package will be used for upcoming rover missions. This paper presents the CAM-1 and CAM-2 instruments and the planned advanced image products. In the first part, we provide a detailed presentation of the calibration of the instruments including their optical parameters, characterization of the detector in term of flat-field, optical ghosts, dark current, spectral sensitivities and distortion. The second part of the paper deals with colorimetry, focusing on the colorimetric characterization of the instrument as well as a description of the correction applied to obtain images expressed in the standard color space CIE XYZ and displayed properly in sRGB. Finally, the third part describes advanced image products developed to assist experts (geologists, navigation engineers). It includes a tool for distance visualization directly inside an image, and the creation of 3D images through stereoscopic reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document "Venus: Evolution Through Time" is a collection of papers that provide an overview of the evolution of Venus and its differences from Earth. The papers discuss various aspects of Venus, including its formation, composition, geodynamic state, tectonics, and volcanism. They also explore the history and characteristics of Venus' atmosphere, including the presence of volatiles and the possibility of past water on the planet's surface. The authors emphasize the need for further research and exploration, and highlight upcoming missions that will provide new data and insights into Venus' history and current activity. The document acknowledges the support received and the contributions of the reviewers. [Extracted from the article]

This is the first in a collection of three papers introducing the science with an ultra-violet (UV) space telescope on an approximately 130 kg small satellite with a moderately fast re-pointing capability and a real-time alert communication system approved for a Czech national space mission. The mission, called Quick Ultra-Violet Kilonova surveyor—QUVIK, will provide key follow-up capabilities to increase the discovery potential of gravitational wave observatories and future wide-field multi-wavelength surveys. The primary objective of the mission is the measurement of the UV brightness evolution of kilonovae, resulting from mergers of neutron stars, to distinguish between different explosion scenarios. The mission, which is designed to be complementary to the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite—ULTRASAT, will also provide unique follow-up capabilities for other transients both in the near- and far-UV bands. Between the observations of transients, the satellite will target other objects described in this collection of papers, which demonstrates that a small and relatively affordable dedicated UV-space telescope can be transformative for many fields of astrophysics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alongside magnetic reconnection, turbulence is another fundamental nonlinear plasma phenomenon that plays a key role in energy transport and conversion in space and astrophysical plasmas. From a numerical, theoretical, and observational point of view there is a long history of exploring the interplay between these two phenomena in space plasma environments; however, recent high-resolution, multi-spacecraft observations have ushered in a new era of understanding this complex topic. The interplay between reconnection and turbulence is both complex and multifaceted, and can be viewed through a number of different interrelated lenses - including turbulence acting to generate current sheets that undergo magnetic reconnection (turbulence-driven reconnection), magnetic reconnection driving turbulent dynamics in an environment (reconnection-driven turbulence) or acting as an intermediate step in the excitation of turbulence, and the random diffusive/dispersive nature of the magnetic field lines embedded in turbulent fluctuations enabling so-called stochastic reconnection. In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge on these different facets of the interplay between turbulence and reconnection in the context of collisionless plasmas, such as those found in many near-Earth astrophysical environments, from a theoretical, numerical, and observational perspective. Particular focus is given to several key regions in Earth's magnetosphere – namely, Earth's magnetosheath, magnetotail, and Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices on the magnetopause flanks – where NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission has been providing new insights into the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NASA's Europa Clipper mission is designed to provide a diversity of measurements to further our understanding of the potential habitability of this intriguing ocean world. The Europa mission's Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS), built at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), is primarily a "plume finder" and tenuous atmosphere investigation. The science objectives of Europa-UVS are to: 1) Search for and characterize any current activity, notably plumes; and 2) Characterize the composition and sources of volatiles to identify the signatures of non-ice materials, including organic compounds, in the atmosphere and local space environment. Europa-UVS observes photons in the 55–206 nm wavelength range at moderate spectral and spatial resolution along a 7.5° slit composed of 7.3°×0.1° and 0.2°×0.2° contiguous sections. A variety of observational techniques including nadir pushbroom imaging, disk scans, stellar and solar occultations, Jupiter transit observations, and neutral cloud/plasma torus stares are employed to perform a comprehensive study of Europa's atmosphere, plumes, surface, and local space environment. This paper describes the Europa-UVS investigation's science plans, instrument details, concept of operations, and data formats in the context of the Europa Clipper mission's primary habitability assessment goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of the Jovian upper atmosphere at high latitudes in the UV, IR and mm/sub-mm all indicate that the chemical distributions and thermal structure are broadly influenced by auroral particle precipitations. Mid-IR and UV observations have shown that several light hydrocarbons (up to 6 carbon atoms) have altered abundances near Jupiter's main auroral ovals. Ion-neutral reactions influence the hydrocarbon chemistry, with light hydrocarbons produced in the upper stratosphere, and heavier hydrocarbons as well as aerosols produced in the lower stratosphere. One consequence of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling is the existence of ionospheric jets that propagate into the neutral middle stratosphere, likely acting as a dynamical barrier to the aurora-produced species. As the ionospheric jets and the background atmosphere do not co-rotate at the same rate, this creates a complex system where chemistry and dynamics are intertwined. The ion-neutral reactions produce species with a spatial distribution following the SIII longitude system in the upper stratosphere. As these species sediment down to the lower stratosphere, and because of the progressive dynamical decoupling between the ionospheric flows and the background atmosphere, the spatial distribution of the auroral-related species progressively follows a zonal distribution with increasing pressures that ultimately produces a system of polar and subpolar hazes that extends down to the bottom of the stratosphere. This paper reviews the most recent work addressing different aspects of this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscope imager CAM-M was developed for the Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) program. This camera is part of the Rashid-1 lunar rover scientific instrument package. It is equipped with a three color RGB CMOS detector, delivering a spatial sampling varying between 20 and 27 μ m per pixel across its field of view. The viewing geometry of this camera was chosen such that its field of view on the ground is slightly ahead of the rover, thereby showing the undisturbed lunar surface. Its multi-purpose illumination system allows to acquire images in shadowed areas but as well to support the rover drive operations. Since CAM-M does not contain any moving parts, its imaging performance depends on suitable positioning of the rover with respect to the field of view. Hence, CAM-M should be seen as a scouting instrument which acquires images at every possible stop along its traverse. This paper provides a summarizing description of the instruments design, its operation concepts, and to illustrate this camera's scientific capabilities by means of data collected during on-ground testing. Due to the unsuccessful landing attempt of the lunar lander which was carrying the Rashid-1 rover to the Moon, CAM-M was unable to collect any data on the lunar surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial introducing a topical collection titled "Solar and Stellar Dynamos: A New Era." The collection consists of 15 comprehensive review papers that summarize the outcomes of an international workshop on solar and stellar dynamos. The workshop brought together researchers from 13 countries to discuss observations, simulations, and models related to the generation of magnetic fields in the Sun and other stars. The review papers cover a wide range of topics, including observations of the solar cycle, magnetic fields in cool stars, formation and evolution of magnetic structures, small-scale dynamo action, and dynamo models. The editors express their gratitude to the authors, coordinators, and the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) for their contributions and support. [Extracted from the article]

Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, harbors a subsurface liquid water ocean; the prospect of this ocean being habitable motivates further exploration of the moon with the upcoming NASA Europa Clipper mission. Key among the mission goals is a comprehensive assessment of the moon's composition, which is essential for assessing Europa's habitability. Through powerful remote sensing and in situ investigations, the Europa Clipper mission will explore the composition of Europa's surface and subsurface, its tenuous atmosphere, and the local space environment surrounding the moon. Clues on the interior composition of Europa will be gathered through these assessments, especially in regions that may expose subsurface materials, including compelling geologic landforms or locations indicative of recent or current activity such as potential plumes. The planned reconnaissance of the icy world will constrain models that simulate the ongoing external and internal processes that act to alter its composition. This paper presents the composition-themed goals for the Europa Clipper mission, the synergistic, composition-focused investigations that will be conducted, and how the anticipated scientific return will advance our understanding of the origin, evolution, and current state of Europa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Launched in December 2022 onboard the Hakuto-R lunar lander, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) Rashid-1 rover experienced an unsuccessful landing on the lunar surface on April 25th, 2023. The mission's prime landing site was Atlas crater, a 87 km diameter floor-fractured crater emplaced within the lunar highlands in the northeastern quadrant of the Moon. This paper describes the landing site selection procedure for the ELM Rashid-1 rover, from technical requirements that led to the selection of four broad areas of interest, to the placement of candidate landing ellipses based primarily on slope analysis and science interest. The rock abundance and presence of boulders were analyzed to verify the suitability of the target location for landing. Geological context as well as high resolution imagery and topography are presented for the four selected landing sites: Atlas crater (prime), Sinus Iridum, Oceanus Procellarum, and Lacus Somniorum (back-ups). Terrain characteristics and key science questions to be addressed at these locations are discussed, emphasizing the high scientific value of these locations for future lunar missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A team of Earth-based astronomical observers supporting a giant planet entry-probe event substantially enhances the scientific return of the mission. An observers’ team provides spatial and temporal context, additional spectral coverage and resolution, viewing geometries that are not available from the probe or the main spacecraft, tracking, supporting data in case of a failure, calibration benchmarks, and additional opportunities for education and outreach. The capabilities of the support program can be extended by utilizing archived data. The existence of a standing group of observers facilitates the path towards acquiring Director’s Discretionary Time at major telescopes, if, for example, the probe’s entry date moves. The benefits of a team convened for a probe release provides enhanced scientific return throughout the mission. Finally, the types of observations and the organization of the teams described in this paper could serve as a model for flight projects in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper summarizes the observations and results of the Mars Express Mission and its application in the analysis of geological processes and landforms on Mars during the last 20 years. The Mars Express observations provided an extended data base allowing a comparative evaluation of different geological surface landforms and their time-based delimitation. High-resolution imagery and digital elevations models on a local to regional scale and spectral measurements are the basis for geological analyses of water-related surface processes on Mars. This includes the nature and discharges of valley networks, formation timescale of deltas, volumina of sedimentary deposits as well as estimating the age of geological units by crater size–frequency distribution measurements. Both the quantifying of geological processes and the determination of absolute model ages allows to constraint the evolution of Martian water-related activity in space and time. Comparative age estimation of fluvial, glacial, and lacustrine deposits, as well as their timing and episodicity, has revealed the nature and evolution of the Martian surface hydrological cycle. Fluvial and lacustrine activity phases are spread over a time span from Noachian until Amazonian periods, but detailed studies show that they have been interrupted by multiple and long-lasting phases of cessation and quiescent. In addition, evidence of glacial activity shows discrete phases of enhanced intensity correlating with increased spin-axis obliquity amplitude. The episodicity of geological processes, erosion, deposition, and glaciation on Mars demonstrate a close correlation between individual surface processes and endogenic activity as well as spin-axis/orbital variations and changing climate condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MAss Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration (MASPEX) is a high-mass-resolution, high-sensitivity, multi-bounce time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MBTOF) capable of measuring minor species with abundances of sub-parts-per-million in Europa's sputter-produced and radiolytically modified exosphere and in its oceanic plumes. The goal of the MASPEX-Europa investigation is to determine, through in-situ measurement of the exosphere and plume composition, whether the conditions for habitability exist or have existed on Europa. As conventionally defined, based on our knowledge of Earth life, the three fundamental conditions for habitability are: (1) the presence of liquid water; (2) the presence of organic compounds and the biogenic elements CHNOPS; and (3) a source of energy available for metabolic processes, which for Europa will most probably be chemosynthetic rather than photosynthetic. Condition (1) is already established by previous indirect (magnetic field) measurements, while MASPEX will contribute directly to the evaluation of condition (2) through highly specific compositional measurements in the Europan exosphere and plumes. The composition measurements will also contribute to the test of condition (3) through disequilibrium states of chemical reactions. Thus, the primary goal of MASPEX for Europa Clipper is to assess the habitability of Europa and specifically of its interior ocean. MASPEX has been developed successfully, and its calibration has demonstrated that it meets its specified requirements for sensitivity, dynamic range, and mass resolution. This paper reports the development of the MASPEX scientific investigation, the instrument, its performance, and calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep elemental composition is a challenging measurement to achieve in the giant planets of the solar system. Yet, knowledge of the deep composition offers important insights in the internal structure of these planets, their evolutionary history and their formation scenarios. A key element whose deep abundance is difficult to obtain is oxygen, because of its propensity for being in condensed phases such as rocks and ices. In the atmospheres of the giant planets, oxygen is largely stored in water molecules that condense below the observable levels. At atmospheric levels that can be investigated with remote sensing, water abundance can modify the observed meteorology, and meteorological phenomena can distribute water through the atmosphere in complex ways that are not well understood and that encompass deeper portions of the atmosphere. The deep oxygen abundance provides constraints on the connection between atmosphere and interior and on the processes by which other elements were trapped, making its determination an important element to understand giant planets. In this paper, we review the current constraints on the deep oxygen abundance of the giant planets, as derived from observations and thermochemical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the improved design of an Ice Giants Net Flux Radiometer (IG-NFR), for inclusion as a payload on a future Uranus probe mission, is given. IG-NFR will measure the net radiation flux, in seven spectral bands, each with a 10° Field-Of-View (FOV) and in five viewing angles as a function of altitude. Net flux measurements within spectral filter bands, ranging from solar to far-infrared, will help derive radiative heating and cooling profiles, and will significantly contribute to our understanding of the planet's atmospheric heat balance and structure, tropospheric 3-D flow, and compositions and opacities of the cloud layers. The IG-NFR uses an array of non-imaging Winston cones integrated to a matched thermopile detector Focal Plane Assembly (FPA), with individual bandpass filters and windows, housed in a vacuum micro-vessel. The FPA thermopile detector signals are read out in parallel mode, amplified and processed by a multi-channel digitizer application specific integrated circuit (MCD ASIC) under field programmable gate array (FPGA) control. The vacuum micro-vessel rotates providing chopping between FOV's of upward and downward radiation fluxes. This unique design allows for small net flux measurements in the presence of large ambient fluxes and rapidly changing temperatures during the probe descent to ≥10 bar pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]