DIX Planetary Science Seminar

The orbital and geodetic states of planetary bodies place fundamental constraints on the evolution of the Solar System. By characterizing gravity fields and rotational dynamics, we gain direct insight into deep interior structures and the geophysical processes that have shaped these worlds since formation. Accurate knowledge of celestial trajectories is also critical for testing the laws governing orbital motion and for predicting the long-term dynamical evolution of the Solar System, including the impact risk from near-Earth objects.

This seminar reviews methodologies used to estimate planetary interior properties and orbital parameters from spacecraft data, and describes how this framework can be extended to upcoming missions and targets. It highlights how raw measurements are transformed into scientific insight, drawing on results from missions such as GRAIL (Moon), Dawn (Vesta and Ceres), Juno (Jupiter and Io), and MESSENGER (Mercury). Particular emphasis is placed on the data acquisition and analysis techniques that enable high-precision spacecraft geodesy, and on how gravity field solutions probe crustal thickness variations, core properties, and evidence for subsurface oceans. The seminar concludes with a discussion of how these approaches can be applied to future planetary missions and to refining long-term dynamical forecasts for the Solar System.