TOKYO, Japan / AsiaWire.IO / – Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft aimed at studying Mars’ enigmatic moons and bringing back samples to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency deployed the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe into space using an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch occurred before dawn on Tuesday, October 20, at 04:41 local time. The mission involves collaboration among five space agencies over its five-year duration.
The goal of MMX is to land a robotic prospector and rover on Phobos, which is the larger and closer of Mars’ two small moons. If the mission succeeds, it will mark the first time a spacecraft orbits Phobos, collects samples from its surface, and returns them to Earth. JAXA leads this effort, with partners including NASA, France’s CNES, Germany’s DLR, and the European Space Agency. Confirmation of the spacecraft separating from the rocket was received after launch.
Scientists aim to resolve how Phobos and Deimos arrived in orbit around Mars. The giant impact hypothesis suggests the moons formed after a large object struck Mars. Conversely, the capture hypothesis proposes they originated as asteroids from the outer Solar System that Mars’ gravity pulled in. Data from orbit and materials returned are expected to clarify which theory is correct.
Global partners contribute rover and scientific instruments
The French and German space agencies built IDEFIX, a rover weighing less than 30 kg, which will land on Phobos prior to the main spacecraft. It will test how the surface reacts to mechanical contact and demonstrate wheeled mobility. NASA provided MEGANE, a neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer. The spacecraft also carries seven scientific instruments, including an infrared spectrometer developed in collaboration with CNES.
Europe plays a vital role in communication support. ESA supplied a transponder and power amplifier for deep space communication and will utilize its Estrack ground station network for sending commands and receiving data. ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell congratulated JAXA and the MMX team on the launch. Elliot Sefton-Nash, the project scientist for MMX at ESA, praised the H3 launcher’s performance in sending the spacecraft on its journey.
Sample collection set for 2031 in Australia
The spacecraft is anticipated to arrive near Mars approximately one year after launch. It will observe Phobos from a quasi-satellite orbit and evaluate potential landing sites before landing. MMX plans to gather at least 10 grams of material using two different tools. A coring sampler on a robotic arm will target regolith deeper than 2 cm, while a pneumatic sampler will use pressurized gas to push soil into a container.
During its mission, MMX will also observe Deimos, the smaller Martian moon, during a flyby. After completing its surface activities, the spacecraft will depart the Mars system for a return journey of about one year. The capsule containing the samples is scheduled to return to Earth in 2031, with recovery operations taking place in Australia. JAXA announced the mission in 2015, started development in 2020, initially targeting a 2024 launch, which was later postponed to 2026.