Japan launches first-of-its-kind mission to bring back rocks from Mars’s moon Phobos
Japan has launched the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission to collect and return soil samples from Mars's moon, Phobos. The mission aims to provide insights into the evolution of the Martian system and test new low-gravity landing technologies.
Why it matters
Successful sample return missions from celestial bodies significantly advance our understanding of the solar system's history and planetary formation.
Japan has launched a landmark mission to collect rock and soil samples from Phobos, one of Mars's two moons, in a bid to unravel the origins of the Martian moons and gain new insights into the Red Planet's evolution.According to The Guardian, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission aims to collect samples from Phobos and return them to Earth by 2031, potentially providing scientists with material to investigate the formation of the moons and the early history of Mars.The Idefix rover, jointly developed by the French space agency CNES and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), measures approximately 41.5 cm in length, 37.6 cm in width and 23.1 cm in height, and weighs around 25 kg.
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Japan Launches Historic Spacecraft on Journey to Mars Moons
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