We're Christian and Mona, two of Idefix®’s Operations Managers at DLR. Ask us Anything!😊

Hello r/space Community, we're the German Aerospace Center (DLR)!

A rover the size of a drinks crate is preparing to explore Phobos, one of Mars’ moons. Its name is Idefix® , and its job is anything but small.

Jointly developed by DLR and CNES for Japan’s MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission, Idefix® is scheduled to land on Mars’ moon Phobos around the turn of 2028/2029 and explore its surface for approximately 100 days. The rover will scout the terrain, test how well it can move and grip the ground in low gravity. It’s findings will also help the MMX spacecraft prepare for landing and collecting samples. The mission aims to return those samples to Earth in 2031.

But getting a rover onto Phobos is only part of the challenge.…