Japan launches MMX mission to collect samples from Mars moon Phobos
publishers 37articles 38first reported 15 Oct, 15:32 UTCdeveloping since 16 Oct · 11 editions
Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft has begun its journey to Phobos after launching aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 a.m. local time Tuesday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.
The uncrewed probe separated from the rocket about an hour after liftoff, and signals received by JAXA indicated that it was operating normally. MMX is expected to reach the Mars system in August 2027 and spend about three years studying the planet’s moons.
The spacecraft will observe Deimos during flybys before concentrating on Phobos, the larger moon. A French-German rover named IDEFIX will survey Phobos’ surface to help identify a safe landing site. MMX will then attempt to land and collect at least 10 grams of material using two sampling systems.
A capsule carrying the samples is scheduled to return to Earth in 2031 and land in South Australia’s Woomera desert. If successful, MMX would become the first mission to return samples from Mars or either of its moons.
Researchers will analyze the material to investigate two leading explanations for the moons’ origins: that they formed from debris after a large object struck Mars, or that they are asteroids captured by the planet’s gravity. The international mission includes contributions from NASA, the European Space Agency, France’s CNES, Germany’s DLR, universities and technology companies.
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