Science · 2026-10-17 · Morning briefing
Japan to launch mission to retrieve sample from Martian moon Phobos
On October 20th, Japan will launch its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center. The mission's objective is to land on Phobos, Mars's largest moon, and return the first-ever sample from its surface to Earth, aiming to solve a scientific mystery that has persisted for over a century.
The journey is a long one; the MMX craft is scheduled to arrive at Mars in August 2027. After entering orbit to map Phobos and observe its smaller sibling, Deimos, operators at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will select a landing site. During one or two brief touchdowns, the spacecraft will deploy a small rover named IDEFIX and collect its sample before beginning its return trip, with an expected arrival on Earth in 2031.
The samples are intended to resolve the debate over whether the moons are captured asteroids or debris from a colossal impact on Mars itself. According to a NASA collaborator on the mission, the answer could also illuminate how inner planets like Earth acquired their water and organic compounds in the early solar system.
Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.
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- Japan prepares to launch sample return mission to Phobos
- Japan’s MMX mission aims to swipe soil samples from Mars’ moon Phobos
- NASA-backed mission aims to land on Mars moon, bring samples home
- Japan’s Oct.19 Phobos Launch Carries Humanity’s First Physical Martian Samples
- Mars moon mission set to launch with tech funded by Planetary Society on board
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