Japan launches spacecraft to mysterious moons of Mars in a bold mission to bring home soil samples - Phys.org
Japan has successfully launched the MMX spacecraft on a mission to explore Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos. The mission aims to collect soil samples and return them to Earth by 2031 to better understand the origins of planetary 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.
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Add to Preferred Sources An H3 rocket lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Credit: Naoki Hiraoka/Kyodo News via AP 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.
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Japan Launches Historic Spacecraft on Journey to Mars Moons
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