Mars mission to collect samples from its Phobos moon
The Japanese space agency JAXA has launched the MMX mission to collect and return samples from Phobos, one of Mars's moons. This mission marks a significant milestone as it aims to be the first successful sample return from a moon other than Earth's.
Why it matters
This mission could provide critical insights into the formation of the solar system and the history of the Martian environment.
JAXA, the Japanese space agency, has launched its Martian Moons eXploration mission, MMX for short, in a bid to bring back a sample from one of Mars’s moons to Earth. The spacecraft will target the larger of Mars’ two moons, that’s Phobos, while also making a series of flybys of its other moon, Deimos. If successful, it’ll be the first time a sample has been brought back from any moon in the solar system other than our own. A good friend of the programme has been heavily involved in the project, and she joined Chris Smith from Japan…
Sara - Hi, I'm Sara Russell. I'm a planetary scientist at the Natural History Museum in London.
Chris - But you're not in London. Where are you?
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