Japan to launch probe on world's 1st Martian moon sample mission
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Thursday it plans to launch a space probe later this year on a world-first mission to col
Japan's space agency has announced plans to launch a groundbreaking mission to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos and return them to Earth, marking the world's first such endeavor. The Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) probe will be launched aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in southwestern Japan on October 20, at 4:41 a.m. The launch, initially scheduled for 2024, was postponed following a failed maiden flight of the H3 rocket last year.
The MMX spacecraft, weighing 4,480 kilograms at liftoff, will consist of three modules designed for the journey to Mars, the exploration of Phobos, and the return journey. Upon reaching Mars, the spacecraft will spend about a year in orbit before deploying a rover, jointly developed by French and German teams, to land on Phobos. Following this, the spacecraft will attempt two landings on Phobos and collect more than 10 grams of sand and rock, which it will then return to Earth.
Upon its return, the spacecraft will release a capsule containing the collected samples for retrieval in Australia. The MMX mission, a collaborative international effort aimed at investigating the origin of Mars' moons, is scheduled to bring its precious cargo back to Earth in fiscal 2031.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
