Infinite Horizons: January 21st “MMX and Beyond Exploring the Origin and Evolution of the Martian System”
4pm, Beijing time
Watch it on Zoom
We have the pleasure to host the next Infinite Horizons' seminar on January 21st, 2026. Our host will be Prof. Hiroyuki Kurokaw from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo, will talk about MMX and Beyond Exploring the Origin and Evolution of the Martian System.
Seminar’s abstract:
Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) is the world’s first sample return mission from the Martian moons, with launch scheduled for late 2026. MMX aims to reveal the origin of Mars’ small yet enigmatic satellites, Phobos and Deimos. In addition to investigations of the moons themselves, the mission will conduct observations of Mars and search for Martian materials embedded in the regolith of the moons, thereby providing new constraints on the evolution of the Martian surface environment. In this talk, I will introduce the MMX mission and its scientific background, and discuss the key scientific questions it addresses and the expected outcomes. By placing MMX in the broader context of theoretical and comparative studies of planetary evolution, I will highlight how the mission contributes to an integrated understanding of the origin and evolution of the Martian system, and explore future directions for Martian system exploration beyond MMX.
Zoom ID: 816 7692 1695
(Our Infinite Horizons seminars are usually host on the third Wednesday of the month)
About the speaker:
Hiroyuki Kurokawa is an associate professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo. He serves as a Discipline Scientist at ISSI-BJ, focusing on small-body science in the solar system. His research covers the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, from extrasolar planets to small bodies in the solar system. His research is primarily based on theoretical modeling of planetary formation and evolution, while he is also actively involved in the scientific preparation of upcoming and future space missions, including the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. Through these combined approaches, he aims to advance an integrated understanding of planetary system formation and evolution.
