Japan Launches Historic MMX Sample-Return Mission to Mars' Moon Phobos

Japan has successfully launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, aiming to study Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Scheduled to arrive in August 2027, MMX will be the first spacecraft to land on and return samples from Phobos for analysis on Earth. Scientists believe studying Phobos could provide insights into the moons' origins and clarify whether they were formed from a massive impact or were captured asteroids.

The 10th liftoff of Japan's H3 rocket, a joint development between JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, successfully launched MMX without issues. After the launch, MMX began its journey towards Mars, with a transit time of approximately 10 months. Upon arrival, MMX will enter a quasi-satellite orbit around Phobos, spending three years researching the 14-mile-wide moon.

Additionally, MMX will carry the IDEFIX rover, a collaboration between French and German space agencies, which will land on Phobos in late 2028 or early 2029. After mapping Phobos, MMX will collect and store samples in its return capsule during two touchdowns. After these operations, MMX will transfer to a more elongated orbit around Mars, intersecting with Deimos, before departing for Earth in November 2030, with the sample-return capsule landing in Australia in 2031.