Japan launches world's first round-trip mission to Mars.
The Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, which launched from Japan on Oct. 19, is on its way to Mars. When it arrives, the probe will attempt to land on one of the Red Planet's twin moons and scoop up rocks to bring back to Earth. Experts tell Live Science what these "transformative" samples could teach us.
On October 19, Japan successfully launched the world's first round-trip mission to Mars, an innovative sample-return mission to the Red Planet. This historic endeavor, spearheaded by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is set to delve into the mysteries surrounding Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos. The spacecraft, a collaborative effort involving NASA, ESA, and other partners, will spend the next five years closely examining the moons before attempting to bring back samples to Earth.
The mission marks a significant milestone in humanity's quest to understand our neighboring celestial bodies and the early solar system.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Japan launches sample-return mission to Mars’s moon Phobos physicsworld.com
