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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency–Phobos

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, beginning a five-year mission to collect the first-ever surface samples from Mars's moon Phobos. The probe will deploy a rover, gather at least 10 grams of regolith, and return to Earth in 2031 to help determine the origins of the Martian moons.

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A Japanese H3 rocket lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center, carrying the MMX spacecraft toward the Martian system.From: Japan Launches Flagship H3 Rocket on Historic MMX Mission to Martian Moon Phobos

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The MMX spacecraft will spend three years observing the Martian moons before returning to Earth in 2031.From: Japan Launches Flagship H3 Rocket on Historic MMX Mission to Martian Moon Phobos ·
The MMX spacecraft will enter a quasi-satellite orbit, flying in formation alongside Phobos rather than orbiting the moon directly.From: Japan Readies MMX Mission to Phobos to Retrieve First Martian Moon Samples ·
The returned samples will help determine whether Phobos is a captured asteroid or the result of a massive ancient impact on Mars.From: Japan Readies MMX Mission to Phobos to Retrieve First Martian Moon Samples ·
The French-German Idefix rover will spend 100 days navigating the ultra-low gravity of Phobos to identify a safe landing site.From: Japan Launches Flagship H3 Rocket on Historic MMX Mission to Martian Moon Phobos ·
The primary spacecraft will use both a pneumatic system and a coring tool to collect at least 10 grams of regolith.From: Japan Launches Flagship H3 Rocket on Historic MMX Mission to Martian Moon Phobos ·
Illustration: The P-Sampler uses a high-pressure burst of nitrogen gas to blow surface material into a collection chamber in seconds.From: Japan Readies MMX Mission to Phobos to Retrieve First Martian Moon Samples ·

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