Japan launches historic mission to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos

Japan has successfully launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft toward Phobos, the largest of Mars' two moons, marking the beginning of a pioneering mission aimed at bringing samples of Martian moon rocks and soil back to Earth for the first time.

The spacecraft lifted off aboard Japan's powerful H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at 4:41 a.m. local time on Tuesday, October 20, CE Report quotes ANSA.

The rocket, equipped with two main engines and four solid-fuel boosters, successfully placed the spacecraft into its planned orbit.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that MMX separated from the rocket approximately 71 minutes after liftoff, with initial communications indicating that the spacecraft was operating as expected.

Makoto Arita, project manager of the H3 rocket program, praised the launch, describing its precision as exceptional.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also welcomed the mission's successful start in a message on X, expressing hope that the historic undertaking would achieve its goals.

The launch had originally been scheduled for 2024 but was postponed following the failure of the H3 rocket's inaugural flight in 2023.

The spacecraft, weighing approximately 4,480 kilograms and standing about 5.3 metres tall, is expected to reach the vicinity of Mars in August 2027.

Once there, MMX will begin studying Phobos and Deimos, Mars' two small moons, to investigate their origins and composition.

A French-German rover named IDEFIX will be deployed to the surface of Phobos, becoming the first robotic vehicle designed to drive across a Martian moon.

Developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French space agency (CNES), the rover will examine surface conditions and help scientists understand the moon's unusual terrain.

The rover is expected to land around late 2028 or early 2029 and operate for approximately 100 days.

Following the rover's exploration, the main MMX spacecraft will attempt two landings on Phobos to collect at least 10 grams of rock and soil samples.

The spacecraft will also conduct observations of Deimos before departing the Martian system in November 2030.

A capsule carrying the collected samples is expected to return to Earth in July 2031, where scientists will examine the material to learn more about the formation of Mars and its moons.

The mission is being conducted by JAXA in cooperation with NASA, the European Space Agency and French and German space research organizations.

One of its central scientific goals is to determine whether Phobos and Deimos formed from debris following a massive collision involving Mars or are ancient asteroids captured by the planet's gravity.

Scientists believe that understanding the moons' origins could provide valuable information about the early history of the solar system and the processes that shaped rocky planets.

The mission will also investigate whether Phobos could eventually serve as a natural staging point for future human exploration of Mars, potentially supporting missions traveling to and from the Red Planet.

If successful, MMX will become the first mission to return samples from a Martian moon, representing a major milestone in planetary exploration and Japan's growing role in deep-space research.

Photo: Chat GPT