Japan prepares to launch sample return mission to Phobos
JAXA is preparing to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission to Phobos in October. The mission aims to return samples to Earth to determine the origins of Mars' moons and the history of the Martian environment.
Why it matters
Understanding the composition of Phobos could provide critical clues about the formation of the solar system and the evolution of Mars.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is targeting Oct. 19 for the launch of a first-of-its-kind sample return mission to the martian moon Phobos.
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is set to lift off at 3:41 p.m. EDT (4:41 a.m. Oct. 20 local time) aboard an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. JAXA leads the mission with NASA contributing science instruments and 10 participating scientists. MMX will be the first spacecraft to both land on the Red Planet’s moon Phobos and return a sample of it to Earth for study.
“The Martian moon Phobos remains an unexplored frontier for humankind,” said MMX Project Manager Kawakatsu Yasuhiro in a statement . “By bringing home samples from Phobos, we hope to explore how the martian moons were formed, how the Mars sphere evolved, and how the water and organic materials found on the terrestrial planets originated.”
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4 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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