HIRATA , Naoyuki

Images of asteroids (162173) Ryugu and (101955) Bennu acquired by the Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions, respectively, reveal rocky worlds covered in rubble. These two asteroids do not have hydrostatic shapes, indicating that they possess some internal friction and/or cohesion even if they lack tensile strength. Understanding the deviation of...

International audience

Carbonaceous (C-type) asteroids1 are relics of the early Solar System that have preserved primitive materials since their formation approximately 4.6 billion years ago. They are probably analogues of carbonaceous chondrites2,3 and are essential for understanding planetary formation processes. However, their physical properties remain poorly...

The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will study the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, Mars, and their environments. The mission scenario includes both landing on the surface of Phobos to collect samples and deploying a small rover for in situ observations. Engineering safeties and scientific planning for these operations require...