Yuming Wang, a Distinguished Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China and Deputy Director of the National Key Laboratory of Deep Space Exploration, has made original contributions to space physics research, particularly in the areas of solar eruptive activities, planetary space environments, and space magnetic field and plasma detection technologies. Prof. Wang played a pivotal role in advancing China’s planetary science research. In 2019, he took the lead in establishing the CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology. In 2020, he served as the Chief Scientist for the CAS Strategic Priority Research Program, titled Formation, Evolution and Habitability of Terrestrial Planets, involving hundreds of researchers. In 2022, he was appointed as a Deputy Chief Scientist for China’s Planetary Exploration Program including Tianwen-1 through Tianwen-4. As the team leader, Prof. Wang and his colleagues built the magnetometer for the Tianwen-1 Mars mission, achieving China’s first Martian magnetic field measurement.
Planetary magnetic fields are key parameters for characterizing the internal structures, dynamic processes, and space environments of planets. The detection of extraterrestrial magnetic fields originated from observations of the Zeeman effect in sunspots in the early 20th century. Subsequently, the realization of in-situ space measurements has greatly expanded our understanding of the magnetic field system in the solar system. Each planet in the solar system possesses a distinctive magnetic field—ranging from Mercury’s offset dipole field, to Jupiter’s ultra-strong magnetic field, and to the extremely tilted magnetic axes of Uranus and Neptune. This diversity reflects the varied pathways of planetary formation and evolution. This talk elaborates on the important scientific significance of planetary magnetic field detection from four aspects: uncovering the origin and evolution of planetary magnetic fields, searching for potential subsurface oceans, understanding the mechanisms of ion escape and atmospheric evolution, and predicting space weather and effects. On this basis, we review the mainstream technologies for in-situ space magnetic field measurements, highlight technological innovations addressing (1) platform interference challenges in magnetic field detection and (2) higher-precision requirements for extremely weak magnetic fields that we will encounter in future missions to outer solar system planets and heliospheric boundaries. Finally, we discuss the prospects of potential future development directions. Specifically, considering the spatiotemporal coverage limitations of in-situ measurements, we propose that developing high-resolution remote sensing of planetary magnetic fields may become a promising future direction. This approach is expected to enable global characterization of the three-dimensional structure and dynamic evolution of planetary magnetic fields, driving leaps forward in planetary science.