Tech · 13 d ago
Japan launches a probe to bring back the first samples from a Martian moon
Tanegashima Space Center
Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
An H3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan on Oct 20. It placed the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft in its planned orbit.
The mission's plan
- Around Aug 2027: orbit around Mars
- Three years exploring Mars, Phobos and Deimos
- Two landings on Phobos to collect samples
- Autumn 2030: leave Mars for Earth
MMX should reach Mars orbit around August 2027 and spend three years exploring the planet and its two moons. It will land twice on Phobos to collect sand and other material.
What's next
A capsule with the samples should land in Australia in summer 2031, the first ever returned from a Martian moon. A small rover built by France and Germany will also study the surface of Phobos.
