Japan launches spacecraft to moons of Mars to bring home soil samples
Japan has successfully launched the MMX spacecraft on an H3 rocket, aiming to explore Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos. The mission intends to collect and return soil samples to Earth by 2031 to better understand the formation of Martian moons.
Why it matters
This mission represents a significant milestone in space exploration, as it is the first attempt to retrieve samples from the Martian moon system.
An H3 rocket lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, on Tuesday.
A Japanese spacecraft rocketed toward Mars on Tuesday on a quest to explore its mysterious moons and bring back samples.
Five of the world’s space agencies joined forces for the five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector plus a rover on Phobos, the larger and closer of Mars’ two pint-sized moons.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is leading the bold sampling effort, launched the spacecraft before dawn from the country’s main spaceport on Tanegashima Island. Officials declared success an hour later when the spacecraft separated as planned from the rocket’s upper stage. Flight controllers burst into applause and jumped to their feet, shaking hands and embracing.
Headlinne story · 3 newsrooms
Japan Launches Robotic Mission to Retrieve Samples From Martian Moon
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