Japan's MMX probe launches toward Mars moon Phobos to return samples
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency sent the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft into space on an H3-24L launch vehicle from Tanegashima. The probe is slated to reach Mars orbit by August 2027, where it will separate its propulsion module and enter orbit around Phobos. While in orbit it will carry out detailed imaging and spectral mapping before a French‑German rover, Idefix, scouts a safe site for a lander in December 2028 (or late 2028/early 2029).
The lander is planned to acquire up to 10 g of surface and subsurface material using two samplers and store it in a return capsule that is expected to land in Australia in 2031. NASA is providing a gamma‑ray and neutron spectrograph, a pneumatic sampler, and Deep Space Network communications for the mission.
How this was covered
- Left-leaning outlets covered this 89m later
- Left-leaning coverage is the most divided on this story
Why it matters
The mission will return the first material from a Martian moon, helping scientists determine the moons’ origins and the history of the Martian system.
How this story developed
- Oct 15 NASA partners with JAXA on mission to sample and study Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos
- Oct 19 The MMX spacecraft has now launched.
- Oct 21 The spacecraft will conduct detailed imaging and spectral mapping of Phobos before the lander descends.
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