Japan to launch historic round-trip mission to Mars moon
Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars' moons to retrieve samples that could help unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth, in what aims to be the first round trip to the Martian region.
Japan is preparing to launch a historic mission to Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos, to retrieve samples that could provide insights into the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is collaborating with U.S., European and other international partners on the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe.
The spacecraft, set to launch on a H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, will arrive near Mars in August next year. It will orbit Phobos, land to collect samples, and return to Earth with at least 10 grams of material. The mission aims to understand the formation of Mars and its moons, as well as the transport of water, volatiles and organic compounds to inner rocky planets. JAXA hopes the mission will reveal the origins of life on Earth and other rocky planets.
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