Japan launches spacecraft to Mars' moon in mission to bring back soil samples

TOKYO, October 18 — Japan is embarking on a groundbreaking mission to Mars's moons, aiming to retrieve samples that could shed light on the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth. The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe, a joint effort between Japan, the United States, Europe, and numerous academic institutions, is set to launch from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tuesday at 4:41am (1941 GMT Monday).

The spacecraft will orbit Mars for a year before entering orbit around its moon Phobos, where it will conduct surface observations and land to collect at least 10 grams of material. Developed by Japan with the input of France, Germany, NASA, the European Space Agency, and other global partners, the MMX mission will be the first round-trip to the Martian system, exploring the origins of Phobos and Deimos — Mars's two moons.

Japanese scientists believe the mission could provide crucial insights into how Mars and its moons formed, potentially offering clues about the conditions that led to the emergence of habitable environments on Earth-like planets.