Japan launches MMX mission to bring back samples from Mars moon
Japan's space agency sent an uncrewed spacecraft toward Phobos, aiming to collect and return rock and dust samples. The round trip is expected to conclude with a return to Earth in 2031.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
What happened
Japan's space agency is leading a five-year uncrewed mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars's two moons, and bring them back to Earth. The spacecraft, called the Martian Moons eXploration craft, lifted off on an H3 rocket before dawn from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan. Its climax is planned for 2029, when it will attempt up to two landings on Phobos.
Why it matters
The mission would be the first to gather samples from Phobos and could be the first spacecraft to return from orbit around Mars. Scientists hope the samples will help explain how Mars acquired its two moons.
Timeline
- Oct 18, 4:11 AM ET: Japan's space agency announced plans for a five-year mission to Phobos, following earlier Russian attempts to land there that failed, including one in 2011.
- Oct 19, 3:48 PM ET: The spacecraft was expected to reach the Martian system in August 2027 and return samples from Phobos to Earth in 2031.
- Oct 20, 2:36 AM ET: The Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft lifted off on an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
Coverage
- Scientists Don't Know How Mars Acquired Its Two Moons. Japan Just Launched a Historic Space Mission That Will Fetch Samples to Find Out (smithsonianmag.com)
- Japan’s new space mission will land on one of Mars' moons, which have long baffled scientists (wisn.com)
- Japan's sample return mission to Phobos may also collect some Mars dust (sciencenews.org)
- Japan leads mission to make first return trip to Mars (Financial Times)
- Japan's MMX mission set to grab a piece of Mars's moon Phobos (BBC)
- Returning samples from a Mars moon: Inside the science of Japan's bold MMX mission (space.com)
- Martian moon space mission hopes to solve mystery of landing on Mars (The Independent)
- Japan to launch world-first mission to collect samples from Martian moon (The Guardian)
- Japan prepares to launch sample return mission to Phobos (astronomy.com)
- NASA to Help Unlock Mysteries of Mars’ Moons in Upcoming Mission (science.nasa.gov)
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