Japan Launches Mission to Collect Samples from One of Mars' Moons
Japan launched an unmanned spacecraft toward Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, in a mission aimed at becoming the first to collect samples from the small rocky body and return them to Earth for analysis.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft lifted off aboard an H3 rocket before dawn Tuesday from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
The spacecraft is expected to reach Mars in August 2027 and return samples to Earth in 2031. JAXA hopes the mission will shed light on the origins of Mars' moons and deepen understanding of the early solar system.
Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, orbits the planet three times a day. It has an irregular shape and orbits approximately 6,000 kilometers above the Martian surface.
JAXA aims to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos' surface and return it to Earth for analysis.
The launch marks the first interplanetary mission for Japan's H3 rocket. The country's flagship rocket suffered a major failure on its maiden flight in 2023 when its second-stage engine failed to ignite. Since then, however, the rocket has completed a series of mostly successful launches.
