Tra‐Mi Ho
Papers
2
Total Citations
8
H-Index
2
About
Tra-Mi Ho is a pioneering aerospace engineer whose work has redefined how we explore small bodies in the solar system. Her primary research focuses on nanoscale landers and instrument carriers—ultra-compact, low-cost platforms that dramatically amplify the scientific return of larger missions. Ho’s most significant contribution is her leadership in developing the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT), a shoebox-sized, 10-kg lander deployed by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission to the asteroid Ryugu. Despite its diminutive size, MASCOT carried four instruments and autonomously hopped across the asteroid’s surface, gathering critical data on its composition and structure. This landmark achievement, detailed in her 2012 and 2015 papers (cited 3 and 5 times respectively), demonstrated that small, agile landers can perform complex in-situ science at a fraction of the cost of traditional probes. Ho’s work on the ROBEX project further extends this concept, envisioning fleets of nanoscale landers for future lunar and deep-space exploration. Her contributions have established a new paradigm for affordable, high-impact planetary science, inspiring a generation of engineers to think big by thinking small.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Nanoscale landers and instrument carriers: enhancing larger mission's science return by investing in low cost solutions: the MASCOT‐1 to X and ROBEX examples5 citations · 2015
- 2