Introduction to this special section: Planetary geophysics

Abstract

While geophysical exploration of Earth is well established as a critical method for understanding planetary processes, many current and planned missions offer great opportunities for geophysicists to apply their skills and expertise to space exploration. Programs such as NASA's Artemis aiming to bring humans back to the moon and the James Webb Space Telescope for deep space imaging, the 10-year extension plan for the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program's Chang'e missions, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Martian Moons eXploration program, and the European Space Agency's European Large Logistics Lander targeting the moon are just a few examples. NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program proposes to send two commercial landers to the moon every year for the remainder of the decade. Several already-manifested payloads in the program involve geophysical instrumentation including heat flow probes, magnetotelluric sounding systems, and seismometers. Seismic data continue to arrive from NASA's InSight mission to Mars as the dusty solar panels still deliver a little energy, emphasizing that geophysics is and will remain an important tool for planetary exploration moving forward.