Japan to launch historic mission to Mars moon

Japan is set to embark on a historic mission to Mars' moons, with the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe, a collaborative effort between Japan, France, Germany, NASA, and ESA. Scheduled to launch from Tanegashima Space Centre on Tuesday at 4.41am, the mission aims to retrieve samples from Phobos, Mars' closest moon, which could provide insights into the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.

The MMX spacecraft will orbit Phobos for up to three years before landing and collecting at least 10 grams of surface material, making it the first round trip to the Martian system. The mission will also explore the possibility of using Phobos as a natural space station, which could be crucial for future human exploration of Mars.

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