Japan successfully launches probe in historic Mars moon mission
TOKYO: Japanese scientists successfully launched a spacecraft on Tuesday that aims to be the first to retrieve samples from one of Mars’s moons, potentially helping unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.
TOKYO: Japanese scientists successfully launched a spacecraft on Tuesday in a historic mission to retrieve samples from one of Mars' moons, according to JAXA. The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre at 4.41am (1941 GMT Monday) in a pitch-black sky. JAXA announced during a livestream that the probe had separated from the H3 rocket and was beginning its journey towards the Martian system over an hour later.
JAXA scientist Mari Aida expressed her joy at reaching this milestone. The spacecraft is expected to arrive near Mars around August next year and orbit one of its moons, Phobos. Japanese scientists aim to collect at least 10g of material from the surface during the three-year mission. The mission, a collaboration with US and European agencies, will help unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.
US and Chinese agencies are also pursuing Mars sample return missions, with China's Tianwen-3 scheduled to launch around 2028.
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