Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica

Reparto di Planetologia

The science team of the Planetology Department is devoted to the study of our Solar System by means of theoretical studies, space missions, and laboratory experiments.

Eros Dynamical and population studies are carried out on Near Earth Objects. *The Spaceguard Central Node* also provides services intended to optimize the level of international coordination for follow-up observations of these minor planets.


SPACE MISSIONS

 

We are participating in the NASA mission CASSINI. We are involved in the construction of a multispectral imaging  spectrometer called VIMS.
Rosetta at P/Wirtanen We are participating in the ESA cornerstone mission ROSETTA. Our contribution is the multispectral spectrometer VIRTIS that will fly to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
We are involved in the exploration of Mars by means of remote sensing, radar and in-situ  investigation of the Martian surface and subsurface.

 
Venus Express at Venus The ESA mission Venus Express, 20 years after the last mission, will significantly improve our knowledge of the planet Venus: despite the many missions sent to the twin planet in the past, many questions are still unsolved,  such as the greenhouse effect and the atmosphere superrotation. We are contributing with a multispectral spectrometer.
NASA mission DAWN's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the Solar System's earliest epoch by investigating in detail one of the largest asteroids, 4 Vesta.  We are contributing with a multispectral spectrometer called VIR. Dawn to asteroids

 

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