Japan launches spacecraft to mysterious moons of Mars
Japan has launched the MMX spacecraft on a five-year mission to explore Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos. The mission aims to land a rover on Phobos and return soil samples to Earth by 2031.
Why it matters
This mission represents a significant milestone in space exploration, as no agency has ever successfully retrieved samples from the Martian moon system.
TOKYO: A Japanese spacecraft rocketed toward Mars on Tuesday on an unprecedented 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.
No one has managed to get samples from Mars or its moons yet
Headlinne story · 7 newsrooms
Japan Launches Historic Spacecraft on Journey to Mars Moons
What every outlet reported, where they differ, and how each framed it →
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in