TOKYO, Japan / AsiaWire.IO / – A spacecraft has been launched by Japan to investigate Mars’ enigmatic moons and bring back samples to Earth, marking a significant step in space exploration. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe into space on an H3 rocket from 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 a rover on Phobos, the larger and nearer of Mars’ two small moons. If it achieves this, it will be the first spacecraft to orbit Phobos, collect samples from its surface, and return them to Earth. JAXA is leading the effort, with contributions from NASA, France’s CNES, Germany’s DLR, and the European Space Agency. The separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle was confirmed following liftoff.
The mission aims to clarify the origins of Phobos and Deimos, with scientists considering two main hypotheses. The impact hypothesis suggests that the moons formed after a large body struck Mars, while the capture hypothesis proposes they originated as asteroids from the outer Solar System that were pulled in by Mars’ gravity. Data collected from orbit and the analysis of returned samples are expected to help determine which theory is correct.
Global partners contribute rover and scientific instruments
The IDEFIX rover, developed by the French and German space agencies and weighing less than 30 kg, will land on Phobos before the main spacecraft. Its functions include testing surface mechanics and demonstrating wheeled movement. NASA has provided MEGANE, a neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer, while the spacecraft also hosts seven scientific instruments, including an infrared spectrometer developed in collaboration with CNES.
Europe plays a crucial role in communication support, with ESA supplying a transponder and power amplifier for deep space links. Its Estrack ground station network will facilitate command transmission and data reception. ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell praised JAXA and the MMX team for the launch, while Elliot Sefton-Nash, MMX project scientist at ESA, commended the H3 launcher for successfully propelling the spacecraft.
Sample return scheduled for 2031 in Australia
Approximately one year after launch, the spacecraft is expected to reach Mars, where it will orbit Phobos in a quasi-satellite trajectory and assess potential landing sites before touchdown. Using two tools, MMX plans to collect at least 10 grams of material. 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 a flyby, MMX will also observe Deimos, Mars’ smaller moon, before leaving the planet’s vicinity for a return journey of about one year. The collected samples are planned to return to Earth in 2031, with recovery operations scheduled in Australia. The mission was first announced by JAXA in 2015, with development starting in 2020. Initially slated for a 2024 launch, the schedule was later adjusted to 2026.