← Back to projects
Contribution

Diplona: A mission to Ceres

Mission concept · CubeSat architecture · Radar feasibility

A mission concept study to investigate Ceres cryovolcanism and subsurface structure using a compact radar sounder approach and science-driven target selection.

Technical report · PDF, 11 MBContact me

Overview

DIPLONA is a concept for a small spacecraft mission to Ceres, designed to complement Dawn-era surface discoveries by adding a subsurface perspective. The central idea is to use radar sounding to connect surface morphology with near-subsurface structure in key regions linked to cryovolcanism and brine-related deposits.

Mission type
3U CubeSat concept study with a focused payload
Instrument
Radar sounder to probe tens of meters with meter-scale vertical resolution

My contribution

Within the team mission study, I worked on the chain connecting the Ceres science case to a preliminary radar-sounder concept and its payload constraints.

  • Defined scientific objectives and a preliminary measurement concept for subsurface structure and cryovolcanic features.
  • Performed preliminary payload sizing and instrument trade-off studies for a 3U CubeSat radar sounder.
  • Assessed instrument-performance needs for geomorphology, subsurface layering, and cryovolcanism.

Problem

Dawn revealed evidence for cryovolcanism, carbonates, organics, and possible brines on Ceres, but the internal context of many features remains uncertain. The key challenge is to constrain how observed deposits and morphologies relate to subsurface layering, fracture systems, and the evolution of cryovolcanic or impact-driven processes.

Approach

The mission concept narrows the science scope to what a small platform can realistically support, then ties objectives to an instrument and an operations plan. Radar sounding was selected as the most valuable “new dimension” relative to Dawn, because it directly informs structure, interfaces, and subsurface continuity.

Measurement concept & performance

The study translated subsurface-science questions into a preliminary radar measurement concept. Instrument performance was framed around the depth and vertical resolution needed to distinguish scientifically useful interfaces, while remaining compatible with a constrained 3U CubeSat architecture.

Measurement objective
Detect subsurface interfaces, layering, and structural continuity beneath selected geological targets
Performance framing
Tens of metres of penetration with metre-scale vertical resolution

This created a traceable chain from the scientific question to the observable, the selected measurement technique, and the payload-level feasibility trade-offs.

Selected design figures

These figures show how the science case was translated into spacecraft geometry and an initial radar-performance assessment.

DIPLONA spacecraft concept with two long dipole antennas, solar panels and the pointing direction toward Ceres
Observation geometry. DIPLONA orientation concept with the deployed dipole radar directed toward Ceres.DIPLONA team study · Fig. 4.4
Calculated radar signal-to-noise ratio decreasing with surface RMS slope for orbital altitudes of 24, 28 and 32 kilometres
Performance trade-off. Calculated signal-to-noise ratio versus surface RMS slope at three candidate orbital altitudes.DIPLONA team study · Fig. 4.21

Deliverables

  • Science motivation and focused questions tailored to a CubeSat-scale mission
  • Target shortlist and rationale for primary observation regions
  • Concept payload definition and feasibility framing for radar sounding
  • Trade-off logic linking scientific objectives to engineering constraints

Targets & rationale

The concept emphasizes regions where radar profiling could clarify formation mechanisms: carbonates and brine-related deposits (e.g., Occator), young crater contexts (e.g., Haulani and Urvara), and cryovolcanic dome structure (Ahuna Mons).

Why radar here?
To test whether surface units extend in depth, identify subsurface contacts, and constrain fracture or layering patterns that control emplacement and evolution of observed features.

Study outcomes

  • A traceable concept linking subsurface-science questions to radar observables and measurement constraints
  • Preliminary performance analysis across orbital altitude and surface-roughness assumptions
  • Target and operations rationale spanning cryovolcanic, impact, tectonic, and slope-process contexts

Technical implementation

Geomorphological analysisDawn data interpretationTarget selection logicRadar feasibility framingMission trade-off analysisScience-to-engineering translation