Russian Plans for Boomerang Probe and Mars Moon Missions
Russia is pursuing a mission named Boomerang that would establish ground contact from Phobos, one of Mars’s moons. Reports indicate that the project was announced by TASS and envisions a pathway to use Phobos as a staging ground for deeper Martian exploration.
Boomerang is envisioned to unfold after 2030 as the second phase of the Expedition-M project. This initiative seeks to study Mars and its moons, Phobos and Deimos, from a distance while also enabling direct contact missions. The overarching goal is to gather data and samples that could illuminate the history and geology of the red planet and their tiny companions.
The mission’s stated objectives include landing in low-gravity environments on corpselike bodies and delivering material samples from Phobos back to Earth for analysis. Such returns would
– if realized – offer scientists a rare glimpse into the composition of Phobos and insights into the broader Martian system.
Germany, France, and Japan have previously signaled plans to deploy a compact science vehicle to Phobos. The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) program, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with cooperation from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), is a collaborative effort to study Phobos and Deimos. A core element of MMX is the Phobos navigator, a robotic platform designed to operate on the moon’s surface and perform a suite of scientific tasks.
During the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, held from 18 to 25 June, a tripartite agreement formalized cooperation among the MMX partners. The arrangement confirms that DLR and CNES will contribute the Phobos rover vehicle, initially referred to as IDEFIX, including its instruments and subsystems. The rover’s development has progressed within CNES facilities in Toulouse and, by recent schedules, aims for completion in the near term. The formal collaboration underscores the international interest in Phobos as a key step toward broader Mars exploration.
Earlier studies and observations have shown that magnetic storms triggered by solar flares can influence human health and spaceflight safety. This line of research continues to inform mission design, shielding strategies, and timing for both orbital and surface operations as space agencies prepare for more ambitious ventures beyond Earth orbit.