Japan launches world's first Mars moon sample-return mission
Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft on the world’s first mission to collect samples from a moon of Mars and bring them back to Earth, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced Tuesday, Qazinform News Agency cites Kyodo.
The spacecraft, part of the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, was carried into space aboard the H3 rocket No. 10. It successfully separated from the rocket and entered its planned orbit, JAXA said.
“I believe we were able to place it into the planned orbit with exceptional precision,” said Makoto Arita, JAXA’s H3 project manager, at a press conference. He also expressed satisfaction at the successful launch of a project that has attracted worldwide attention.
The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on the island of Tanegashima in southwestern Japan at 4:41 a.m.
The spacecraft will travel to Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons, which orbits around 6,000 kilometers from the planet’s surface and has an estimated diameter of 20 to 30 kilometers. The mission aims to collect samples, including rocks and sand, and return them to Earth in July 2031.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the successful launch in a post on X, expressing hope that the historic mission would achieve its objectives, collect samples and safely return them to Earth.
本日、種子島宇宙センターから、「H3ロケット」10号機が打ち上げられ、搭載された「火星衛星探査機（MMX）」は所定の軌道に投入されました。 今回の「H3ロケット」の打上げは、6月、8月の打上げに続く、3回連続の成功となり、大変嬉しいニュースです。 関係者の皆様のこれまでの御尽力に、心より感謝を申し上げます。 「火星衛星探査機（MMX）」は、世界初となる火星圏から物質を持ち帰る「サンプルリターン」を目指しており、日本が主導する挑戦的な国際宇宙探査ミッションです。 火星の衛星の物質を持ち帰ることで、火星の衛星の起源や太陽系の進化プロセスの解明とともに、将来の「有人火星探査」を見据えた、世界初の火星への往復技術の獲得につながることが期待されています。 「火星衛星探査機（MMX）」は、今後、約1年かけて地球から火星に向けて飛行し、その後、約3年程度、観測などのミッションに取り組んだ後、また約1年かけて地球に戻ってくる予定です。 この歴史的な挑戦が成功し、火星圏からの「サンプルリターン」が成功することを願っています。 高市内閣では、「宇宙分野」を『日本成長戦略』の「17の戦略分野」に位置付けており、宇宙戦略基金による技術開発や民間事業者への支援を強化し、ロケットの更なる高度化、打上げの高頻度化、信頼性向上に取り組んでまいります。
— 高市早苗 (@takaichi_sanae) October 19, 2026
The launch was initially scheduled for 2024 but was postponed following the failure of the H3 rocket’s maiden flight the previous year.
The MMX mission is an international collaborative project designed to investigate the origins of Mars’ moons and develop technologies for future space exploration.
According to the mission plan, the spacecraft is expected to enter orbit around Mars in August 2027. A rover jointly developed by French and German teams will then land on Phobos, followed by two planned landing attempts.
After completing its investigation of Phobos, the spacecraft will observe Deimos, Mars’ smaller moon, before departing the planet’s orbit in November 2030.
During its return journey, the spacecraft will release a capsule containing the collected samples.
If successful, the mission will provide scientists with valuable material for studying the formation and evolution of Mars’ moons and gaining new insights into the history of the Martian system.
Earlier, it was reported Saudi Arabia sent biological samples into space to study Alzheimer’s disease.