TOKYO, Japan / AsiaWire.IO / – A spacecraft destined for Mars has been launched by Japan, aiming to investigate the planet’s enigmatic moons and bring back samples to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe into space aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch occurred early Tuesday morning, October 20, at 04:41 local time. The mission involves collaboration among five space agencies over a five-year period.
The goal of MMX is to land a robotic prospector and rover on Phobos, the larger and closer of Mars’ two tiny moons. Success would make it the first spacecraft to orbit Phobos, to collect samples from its surface, and to return to Earth from the Mars system. JAXA is leading the mission, with partners including NASA, France’s CNES, Germany’s DLR, and the European Space Agency. Confirmation of spacecraft separation from the rocket was received following launch.
Scientists anticipate that findings from this mission will clarify whether Phobos and Deimos originated from a giant impact or were captured asteroids. The impact hypothesis suggests the moons formed after a large collision with Mars, whereas the capture hypothesis proposes they are remnants of outer Solar System asteroids pulled in by Mars’ gravity. Data from orbit and material analysis are expected to help determine which theory is correct.
Global partners contribute rover and scientific instruments
The French and German space agencies developed IDEFIX, a rover under 30 kg, which will land on Phobos prior to the main spacecraft. Its objectives include assessing how the surface reacts to mechanical contact and testing wheeled mobility. NASA provided MEGANE, a neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer. The spacecraft also carries seven scientific instruments, including an infrared spectrometer created with CNES collaboration.
Europe plays a vital role in communication support, supplying a transponder and power amplifier for deep space links. ESA will utilize its Estrack ground station network to send commands and receive data. ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell congratulated JAXA and the MMX team on the launch. Elliot Sefton-Nash, MMX project scientist at ESA, commended the H3 launcher’s performance in propelling the spacecraft into space.
Sample collection scheduled for 2031 in Australia
The spacecraft is projected to arrive near Mars approximately one year after launch. It will observe Phobos from a quasi-satellite orbit and evaluate potential landing sites before touchdown. MMX plans to gather at least 10 grams of material using two tools. A coring sampler attached to a robotic arm will target regolith deeper than 2 cm, while a pneumatic sampler will use pressurized gas to push soil into a collection container.
During its mission, MMX will also perform flybys of Deimos, the smaller Martian moon, before departing for a return journey that will last around one year. The capsule containing the samples is scheduled to return to Earth in 2031, with recovery efforts set to take place in Australia. The mission was first announced by JAXA in 2015, with development starting in 2020. The original launch target was 2024, which was later revised to 2026.