Japan to launch spacecraft on a mission to get samples from a Martian moon
Scientists hope the mission, which is expected to take five years, will provide clues to how Phobos and its smaller sibling Deimos formed, and hopefully even shed light on the origins of life in the solar system
Japan will send a spacecraft to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, as part of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, according to The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The spacecraft, set to launch on a H-3 rocket on October 20, 2026, will take five years to complete its mission. Scientists hope the mission will provide insights into the formation of Phobos and its smaller sibling Deimos, and potentially shed light on the origins of life in the solar system.
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