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Earth, Planets and Space
Fig. 4 | Earth, Planets and Space

Fig. 4

From: Martian moons exploration MMX: sample return mission to Phobos elucidating formation processes of habitable planets

Fig. 4

Outline of the tentative operation plan of MMX during the 3-year stay in the Martian system. The two panels are based on changes in the duration of eclipses by Mars and Phobos (top) and those in the configuration of Mars relative to the Sun and Earth (bottom), respectively. Horizontal axes are common and the timings of arrival and departure are shown on the bottom horizontal axis. For eclipse duration estimates (orange hatches by Mars and blue ones by Phobos), a QSO-L orbit is assumed. The purple and green curves in the bottom panel show the distance between Phobos and Earth and the separation angle between the Sun and Phobos seen from the Earth, respectively. N25, S25, and NS0 represent the subsolar latitudes on Phobos at the timings of solstices and equinoxes of Mars. CO check out, H QSO-H, M QSO-M, LA QSO-LA, LB QSO-LB, LC QSO-LC, LSS landing site selection, TD touch down, DM Deimos, 3D-M three-dimensional QSO-M. Courtesy of Nakamura T and Ikeda H

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