Settore: Planetary Exploration

Number of satellites: 1

Form factor: 12 U (9 U + 3 U)

TASTE (Terrain Analyser and Sample Tester Explorer) is a new concept Cubesat-in-Cubesat (CiC) mission, composed by a 9U orbiter and a 3U lander, aiming to explore the Martian moon Deimos. Deimos and Phobos are considered primary targets of investigation to understand the origin and evolution of Mars and more in general the terrestrial planets of the Solar System. While there is no clear consensus on a definitive scenario for the moon's formation, two major hypotheses are considered among the scientific community: giant impact origin or asteroid capture. To unveil the origin and evolution of Phobos and Deimos, in the context of international exploration of the Mars system, it is necessary to have detailed knowledge of both moons. While the JAXA Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, which is planned to be launched in September 2024, will study Phobos; the TASTE mission has the main objective to study Deimos, combining both global observations from a close orbit and direct analysis of the surface obtained by a lander.

Proposing team: INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (Prime), Politecnico di Milano, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste.