A PHOBOS TELESCOPE FOR SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION (AIAA), June 25, 2024, virtual, 1:00-2:00 pm ET

AIAA will host a webinar on June 25, 2024 from 1:00-2:00 pm ET as part of its ASCENDxWebinar series on “A Phobos Telescope for Science and Exploration.”

Participants are:

• Jim Green, Space Science Endeavors (former NASA Chief Scientist)
• Amanda Hendrix, Planetary Science Institute
• Kunio Sayanagi, NASA Langley Research Center
• Jim Bell, Arizona State University
• Benjamin Donohue, Boeing

More information is on the event’s website, which says:

Space-based astronomical telescopes are in great demand typically observing objects beyond the solar system. Therefore, synaptic observations of solar system bodies are limited by the availability of telescope time and resolution. The need for a high-resolution, multi-wavelength space telescope for dedicated planetary science is especially acute with the impending end of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Such a telescope would be used to routinely observe, within the framework of long-term monitoring, solar system objects such as volcanically active bodies, the giant planets, and their satellites. The telescope would have access to critical wavelengths in the ultraviolet, near- and mid-infrared, which has been precluded by the Earth’s atmosphere, in addition to the visible spectrum.

A telescope that resides on the north or south pole of Phobos would provide a significant number of advantages for observing solar system objects and Mars in addition to providing significant support for human exploration of the Red Planet. A large space telescope (~10 meters) on Phobos could easily be used for both science and human exploration. Assembled on Phobos, the telescope could offer unique advantages for observing Mars and other solar system objects due to its stable position and lack of atmospheric distortion and enabling long-term synaptic monitoring as required in the Planetary Science Decadal. The telescope would also support human exploration by facilitating high-capacity optical communication links, offering a backup for data transmission during dust storms, and high-resolution surface imaging in support of humans living, working, and exploring the surface of Mars.