Japan's space agency launches spacecraft on historic mission to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos, with samples expected to return to Earth in 2031. The mission, led by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, aims to analyze material from Phobos to understand the formation of Mars' moons.
The spacecraft, launched from Tanegashima Island, is part of a international collaboration involving five space agencies. The mission, costing $578 million, will attempt to land a robotic rover and sample collector on Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, in 2028. The mission is expected to arrive at Phobos in August 2027.
If successful, the mission will be the first to collect samples from Mars' moons, providing insights into the origin of Mars' moons and potentially revealing material from Mars itself. The samples, expected to land in South Australia in 2031, could help resolve the mystery of how Mars' moons formed.
The mission, named MMX, involves a 5-tonne spacecraft that will reach Mars by late 2027. The rover, named Idefix, is designed to explore Phobos' surface and identify a safe landing site for the sample collector. The mission aims to gather at least 10 grams of material from Phobos, which could provide crucial data on the composition and history of Mars' moons.