Introduction tothe 9th Mission Idea Contest : to the Moon
Preliminary Workshop(PreMIC9)
Lunar Mission

MIC Office© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

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Contents• PreMIC9 Overview• Background• Comparison with previous MICs
• Process and Timeline• Example of Regional/National Competition• Requirements• Evaluation Criteria• Function of MIC Coordinators• Reasons for joining MIC© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

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PreMIC9 Overview
The lunar missions consider the use of one or more CubeSats placed into lunar
orbit or one or more rovers deployed on the lunar surface. Designs are encouraged
to demonstrate originality, impact, engineering elegance, and feasibility.
Category:• Lunar Orbit CubeSat Mission (LOCM)• Lunar Surface Rover Mission (LSRM)
Important dates:
Abstract submission due: July 24, 2024
Notification: September 10, 2024
Final presentation: November 27, 2024, in Stellenbosch, South Africa(Selected finalists will a make presentation at PreMIC9.)© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

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Background (1)• Mission Idea Contest was launched in 2010 to encourage
innovative exploitation of micro/nano-satellites to provide
useful capabilities, services.
• It provides aerospace engineers, college students,
consultants, and anybody interested in space with
opportunities to present their creative ideas and gaininternational attention.

MIC3 finalists and reviewers, Nov 19, 2014,
Kitakyushu, Japan© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

MIC4 finalists and reviewers, Oct. 21,
2016, Verna, Bulgaria
4MIC8 finalists and reviewers, Nov. 29,2023, Tokyo, Japan

Background(2)8 MICs and 4 Pre-Workshops were successfully organized in 2011-2023.
• Results– Potential utilizations of micro/nano-satellites were provided in the large
number of submitted proposals– Four books and two e–books were published as IAA book series
https://iaaspace.org/product-category/pub/bookseries/© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

5MIC Winners’ Mission Ideas
Proposed idea
MIC 1 (2011,Tokyo)
Integrated Meteorological / Precise Positioning Mission Utilizing(constellation)
Nano-Satellite Constellation
MIC 2 (2012,Nagoya) SOLARA/SARA:Solar Observing Low-frequency Array for Radio(Satellite Design)
Astronomy/ Separated Antennas Reconfigurable Array
MIC 2 (2012,Nagoya) Underground and surface water detection and monitoring using(Business model)
a microsatellite
MIC 3 (2014, Tokyo) Clouds Height Mission

CountryJapan(professional)
USA(student)
South Africa(student)
Germany, Italy, Sloveni(professional)
MIC 4 (2016, Bulgaria) CubeSat constellation for monitoring and detection of bushfires
Australia(student)in Australia
MIC 5 (2018, France) Smallsat Ionosphere Exploration at Several Times and Altitudes,
Taiwan, USA, India(student)
MIC 6 (2019, Tokyo) MUSA: An ISS Experiment for research of a dual culture forCosta Rica(student)(ISS-IceCube)
Panama Disease
MIC6 (2019, Tokyo) Spectrum Monitoring from Space with i-SEEP (SMoSiS)
Philippines(ISS-iSEEP)(professional)
MIC7 (2022, Tokyo) PARS: Precursor Asteroid Remote Surve
Turkey (student)
MIC8 (2023, Tokyo) MOTHS: Moon Observation Through Hyperspectral Satellites© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

6Italy (student)MIC1-8 & Pre-MIC3-9 Comparison
Satellitemass

MIC1MIC2

PreMIC3MIC3PreMIC4 MIC4< 15 kg<50 kg<50 kg<50 kg<50 kg1 or more

1 or more

1 or more

1 or more

PreMIC5MIC5MIC6MIC7<50 kg<50 kg<50 kg

ISS
Deep SpacePlatform

1 or more

1 or more

1 or more

PreMIC8MIC8PreMIC9<6’U

<6’U

<12’U

2 or more

2 or more

1 or more

2 or more

Number of(constellatio
satellites

N/AN/Ans only)

Rover
mass

<10 kg(Maximum Convoy
Mass)

Number of
Rover

1 or more

1

Missionidea forCategorynanosatellite
constellation2Missionidea&satellite
design212Missionproposer

User
Missionidea andsatellite
designMissionidea &businessmodel© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

Developer

1

Missionidea andsatellite
designResourceprovider

1122112

Mission ideafor DeepSpaceICECUBE Science andLunar Orbit
CubeSat Mission
S
Exploration
Multiple
MultiplewithMission idea Mission idea
satellites
Satellites
Nano/Microand satellite and satellite
missionMissionSatellite
design todesign to(constellation (constellation
satisfy any of satisfy any ofandand
SDGs
SDGs
Formation
cis-lunar orbit Formationflying)flying)or deep(inside)space
Lunar Surface
Rover Mission
trajectory
orbit
iSEEP(outside)
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Requirements
Theme:“Lunar Mission “Category:• Lunar Orbit CubeSat Mission (LOCM)• Lunar Surface Rover Mission (LSRM)
Details of Requirements：
https://www.spacemic.net/pdf/premic9/PreMIC9_Requirements.pdf
Please download and use the abstract template on the website.

https://www.spacemic.net/© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

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Process and Timeline
Application Submission : Deadline July 24, 2024
Submitted abstracts will be evaluated by review teamNotification of Finalist: September 10, 2024
Title of paper and finalist(s)’ name and affiliation will be published on the website.

Presentation and Workshop in South Africa on November 27, 2024(Selected finalists will make a final presentation. )© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

9Evaluation Criteria
Originality

Novel concept not yet realized or proposed, or a new implementation of an existing
capability or service (25).

ImpactImpact on society / Potential to expand scientific knowledge / Strengthen deep space
mission motivation (25).
Technical description and solutions (20).

Engineering
Operational (protocol, communication and interaction during experiment) (15).

Feasibility© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

Programmatic (realistic- cost, development schedule, infrastructure requirements) (15).

10Function of MIC Coordinators• Mentor: Offer advice and expertise, as well as facilitate the coordinationof potential applicants, within your region and beyond.
• Coordinate: Liaise with the MIC Office to develop effective ways forparticipants to engage and apply for the Pre-MIC9 (e.g. organizing a
regional seminar, using a space event in your region or disseminating
information through existing network).
• Network: Develop methods to help link students, researchers, policy
makers, and business people in your region for the realization of mission
ideas with an implication of contributing to a better future of yoursociety or country/region.
© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

11Reasons for joining MIC
1) Capacity building via training opportunities.
2) Seek meaningful mission ideas.
3) Watch free lectures on deep space exploration.
4) Make a difference in the real-world. MIC can function as
catalyst and result in projects which are innovative,affordable and technically reachable.
5) Receive exposure for your ideas. Develop your career
profile and find potential future collaborators among aworldwide network.
6) Recognition of excellence; awards/prizes (TBA).
© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

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JOIN US!!
MIC Office info@spacemic.net

c/o UNISEC Office2-3-2 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5800-6645

https://www.spacemic.net/© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

13Collaborator

OrganizerSponsor© 2024 UNISEC. All rights reserved.

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