… to conclude. Besides obvious results on Ryugu/Bennu, the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference covered lots of other topics this year. You know, Planetary Science:
-The DART mission succeeded, as we saw. An entire session (Tue 8:20 am), Characterization of the DART Mission Target: Didymos System, was scheduled for presentations. This also covers the Didymos-Dimorphos system, future target of the Hera (multi-) mission: see posters Kokhirova, G. I. Buriev, A. M. Safarov, S. N. Observation of the Binary Asteroid (65803) Didymos and Its Physical-Dynamic Characteristics Based on Optical Survey Results (#1797), Ieva, S. Mazzotta Epifani, E. Dotto, E. et al. Near-Infrared Spectral Homogeneity of the Didymos System Before and After the DART Impact (#1889), Senel, C. B. Karatekin, O. Luther, R. et al. Hypervelocity Impact Simulations of the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on Asteroid Dimorphos (#2312), and Furukawa, S. Okada, T. Li, Z.-L. et al. Christiansen Feature and Reststrahlen Feature of Rocky Samples for Future Thermal Infrared Exploration (#1890). You didn’t think this was just a smash stunt, did you?
-MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) is big news. Largely built by now, it was supposed to launch late this year, but is delayed to the next Mars window (2026) by trouble with the H3 launcher. In general, see Monchinski, C. Genda, H. Ida, S. The Icy Origins of the Martian Moons (#1130) (yes, ice!), and posters Kegerreis, J. A. Lissauer, J. J. Elphic, R. C. Origin of Mars’s Moons by Disruptive Partial Capture of an Asteroid (#2091), Uchida, Y. Toyokawa, K. Usui, T. Study of Phobos’ Geological Anisotropy: Implication for the Co-Evolution of Resurfacing and Orbital Dynamics (#2197), Barucci, M. A. Bernardi, P. Reess, J.-M. et al. MIRS: MMX Infrared Spectrometer to Martian System (#1427) plus David, G. Delbo, M. Barucci, A. Analysis of a Thermal Correction Method for the MIRS Infrared Spectrometer: Preparation for the Future Observations of the Martian Moons Phobos and Deimos (#2205), and (aside) Beccarelli J.* Pajola M. Munaretto G. Lucchetti A. Poggiali G. Simioni E. et al. Analysis of the OMEGA 0.4-2.5 μm Spectra of the Martian Satellite Phobos (#1846). And let’s not forget the MMX rover, IDEFIX. See Ulamec, S. Michel, P. Grott, M. et al. IDEFIX, the MMX Rover – In-Situ Science on Phobos (#1878).
-Another whole session (Wed 2:15) was Lucy talks- “Lucy Mission: Results of the Encounter with the Main Belt Asteroid Dinkinesh“. Not only did the Dinkinesh “system” surprise us by being… a system, with a satellite Selam, but the Lucy instruments did a superb job at that system. See also poster Lisse, C. M. Martin, A. C. Wong, I. Jovian Trojan Colors: Crystalline Water Ice, Fairy Castles, and Impacts (#2276), and more generally outer Solar System and comet work. Jupiter’s trojan objects, being ~5 AU out, are basically comets that never warm up. Conversely, one may think of the irregular (distant) satellites of Jupiter/Saturn as trojans that aren’t trojans- they were captured into orbit, instead of into the Lagrange points.
-Psyche is big, literally. Bennu and Ryugu, let alone Itokawa etc. just aren’t gigantic balls of metal. Hence, it got much of a session (“Characterization of Asteroids and Comets“, Thu 8:20 am)- see talks on Solar Wind Space Weathering, #2418, Using the Tectonics and Moment of Inertia of Psyche, #1470, The Magnetic Field Signature, #1827, and Discrete Element Method Simulations of Mass #1716; and see posters Lawrence, D. J. Peplowski, P. N. Goldsten, J. O. The Psyche Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer: “First Light” Measurements (#1992), and Burks, M. T. Lawrence, D. J. Peplowski, P. N. et al. Using the Psyche Anti-Coincidence Shield Veto to Help Identify Gamma-Ray Peaks in the High-Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (#1755). Quick summary: Psyche flying. Flying good.
-The Emirates Mission to Explore the Asteroid Belt (0r MBR Explorer) doesn’t have much out in public, so this LPSC stuff is welcome: one talk, Harish, Hayne, P. O. Emery, J. P. Deciphering The Compositional Enigma Of Ultra-Red Asteroids: A Spectral Modeling Study Of Asteroid (269) Justitia (#2168), and a poster, El-Maarry, M. R. Landis, M. E. Sheeres, D. J. et al. The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) Targets: Geological Considerations (#2330). Still, if you’re in the field this is pretty broad stuff, not particularly Emirati or Mission-y.
-New Horizons- yes, New Horizons- is still putting out data, and puttering outward through the Kuiper Belt. Hence, it’s relevant to the small bodies field. See posters Fraser, W. C. Porter, S. B. Benecchi, S. D. The New Horizons Subaru Kuiper Belt Search (#2440), Porter, S. B. Singer, K. N. Schenk, P. M. et al. The Shape and Formation of Arrokoth (#2332), Doner, A. Horanyi, M. Bagenal, F. et al. New Horizons Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter Observes Higher than Expected Fluxes Approaching 60 au (#1604), and in general, session 254 (Tue 2:15 pm) “Dwarf Planets”.
-In that same vein (stream?), Ceres study (“Dwarf Planets“) includes new conclusions drawn from old data, such as contextual work in the light of Rosetta/New Horizons/OREx/etc. That session also has, e. g., Eris, lesser ice bodies, etc.
-DESTINY+, the mission to (3200) Phaethon, has two new posters now. Ishibashi, K. Okamoto, T. Yamada, M. Development Status Of DESTINY+ Two Onboard Cameras For Flyby Imaging Of (3200) Phaethon (#1750), and Arai, T. and the DESTINY+ Team- Current Status of DESTINY+ and Flyby Observation Plan of (3200) Phaethon (#1781). Nothing dramatic if you were already keeping up.
-Comet Interceptor already had a major paper on the mission, but what’s a bit more? See Küppers, M. Kawakita, H. Bowles, N. Comet Interceptor: A Rapid Response Mission To A Pristine World (#1086) and Elkington, N. J. Bowles, N. E. Rashman, M. F. Modelling for Comet Interceptor’s Modular InfraRed Molecules and Ices Sensor (#1386).
-Lesser Ryugu/Bennu work includes Sakatani, N. Kameda, S. Kitsuna, K. Boulder Motions On Asteroid Ryugu Induced By Thruster Gas Disturbance By Hayabusa2 (#1719). Haya2 still has a sampler “bullet” left, but both it and OREx will attempt to “dust off” the surfaces of their next targets by a thruster puff.
-Some comet and meteor submissions scattered through the meeting. These fleeting objects are very hard to really study in detail, but they’re still important constituents of the Solar System, not in the least because they’re directly related (parent/child) to the other constituents of the Solar System.
-In general- and I mean general- the SPHEREx mission, will, despite staying in Earth orbit, be a planetary mission, by detecting water, ammonium, etc. See Lisse, C. M. Bauer, J. M. Kim, Y. et al. Planetary Science with the 0.7 – 5.0 um SPHEREx Solar System Object All-Sky Spectral Catalog (#2039). And JWST is putting out some small-body results, same general idea: de Kleer, K. Gomez Barrientos, J. Ehlmann, B. L. The Surface Composition of L-Type Asteroids from JWST Spectroscopy (#2630).
-Unconventional telescopes: ALMA, usually viewing nebulae and dust, is one more tool in our toolbox. And amateur ‘scopes, now networked, can be used for synoptic or time-based studies.
Whew.
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