Mission blasts off for Mars to grab a piece of its moon
Japan has launched the Mars Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, a spacecraft designed to travel to Mars' moon Phobos to collect and return samples to Earth. The mission aims to determine the origin of the Martian moons, which remain a mystery to scientists.
Why it matters
This is a pioneering space exploration mission that could provide the first-ever samples returned from the Martian system, offering insights into the formation of the solar system.
Image source, JAXA Image caption, The spacecraft will head to Mars's larger moon, Phobos
A spacecraft has launched from Japan headed for Mars' moon Phobos, where it will attept to grab some moondust and bring it back to Earth.
If it is successful, this will become the first time a sample has been returned from Mars or its moons to be analysed in laboratories here on Earth.
The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Phobos in August 2027.
It is hoped that the Mars Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, which is led by the Japanese Space Agency, will solve the mystery of how Mars's moons formed.
Prof Sara Russell, from the Natural History Museum, who is the MMX mission's deputy for sample analysis, said: "There hasn't yet been a successful mission to go to Phobos and bring a bit back to Earth.
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