RLSSE has been established in May 2004, to strengthen CSSAR’s capability in deep space exploration. The goal of RLSSE is to develop scientific instrumentations, such as magnetometer, EUV imager, for satellite missions to the planets as well as their moons in the solar system; and to analyze data from these missions with emphasis on the space environment of the planets/moons, including electromagnetic field, charged particle distribution and neutral atmosphere.

Now RLSSE is involved in several deep space exploration programs, for example, the Chinese lunar mission, China-Russia joint Mars/Phobos exploration program. The Mars/Phobos program will be China’s first scientific exploration of Mars and one of its moons, Phobos. Data from the program will provide insights into questions concerning the Martian ionosphere, the physics of the interaction between the solar wind and Mars. The program will also stimulate the development of space technology in China, for example, the deep space telemetry and ranging.

A Micro-satellite, Yinghuo-1, would be developed by Chinese aerospace industry and would be launched with Russian spacecraft Phobos-Grunt, to orbit Mars. Solar wind-Mars interaction forms a RLSSEial environment around Mars, which affects the energy transferring from the Sun to Mars. The escaping of Mars’ atmosphere driven by solar wind is critical for understanding the habitability in the past. Yh-1 mission is focusing on the investigation of the characteristics and its evolution of the Martian space Environment, identifying major plasma processes, which provide channels for Martian volatiles escaping.
1. Mars’ bow shock forms and structure, plasma distribution and characteristic in the magnetosheath;
2.Solar wind-atmosphere coupling and energy deposition processes；
3.Martian ions escaping processes and possible mechanisms；
4.Ionosphere occultation, focusing on sub-solar and midnight regions.
The coordinated measurement between YH-1 and Phobos-Grunt would provide a deep view of the plasma evolution and dynamic processes around Mars.

The scientific Instrument on YH-1 is designed as:
 Long Wave Receiver to carry on the occultation between Phobos-Grunt and HY-1 to measure the plasma density profiles of Martian ionosphere, focus on the sub-solar and midnight regions.
 Magnetometer to measure three components of the magnetic field
 Electron RLSSEtrum to measure electron distribution function
 Ion RLSSEtrometer to measure ion distribution function
 Ion Mass analyzer to measure ion compositions
 CCD-Camera, Mars Imager

Scientific researches on Sun-Earth-Moon environment and Martian space environment are in progress in RLSSE.