Japan launches mission to explore Mars' moons and bring back samples

Japan successfully launched the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe on Tuesday via a flagship H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch occurred at 4:41 am, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency later announced that the probe had successfully separated from the rocket to begin its journey. The mission aims to explore the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, and marks an unprecedented attempt to retrieve samples from one of these moons.

The probe is expected to arrive near Mars around August next year to orbit Phobos. According to Free Malaysia Today and the New Straits Times, a French-German rover named IDEFIX will travel across Phobos to conduct surface observations to ensure a safe landing. Once at the moon, the mission intends to collect at least 10 grams of material, including dust, soil, and rocks.

The $578 million project seeks to deliver these samples back to Earth in 2031. Scientists hope the findings will provide insight into how Mars and its moons formed, the origins of the Solar System, and the origins of life on Earth.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, The Mainichi, Le Monde English, Free Malaysia Today, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.