TOKYO, Japan / AsiaWire.IO / – Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft destined for Mars, aiming to investigate the planet’s enigmatic moons and bring back samples to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe into space aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch occurred just before dawn on Tuesday, October 20, at 04:41 local time. The mission involves collaboration among five space agencies over a period of five years.
The primary goal of MMX is to land a robotic prospector and rover on Phobos, the larger and nearer of Mars’ two small moons. If it succeeds, this will mark the first time a spacecraft has orbited Phobos, collected surface samples, and returned them to Earth. JAXA is leading the effort, with participation from NASA, France’s CNES, Germany’s DLR, and the European Space Agency. The separation of the spacecraft from the rocket was confirmed shortly after launch.
Scientists hope that the mission will shed light on the origins of Phobos and Deimos, the two moons orbiting Mars. The giant impact hypothesis suggests that these moons formed after a massive collision with Mars, while the capture hypothesis posits they originated as asteroids from the outer Solar System that were pulled in by Mars’ gravity. Data collected from orbit and the analysis of samples returned are expected to help determine which theory is correct.
Global Partners Contribute Instruments and Support
The French and German space agencies developed IDEFIX, a rover weighing less than 30 kg that will land on Phobos prior to the main spacecraft. Its tasks include testing how the surface responds to mechanical interactions and demonstrating mobility with wheels. NASA provided MEGANE, a neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer. The spacecraft is equipped with seven scientific instruments, including an infrared spectrometer created through a partnership with CNES.
Europe plays a vital role in communication support as well. ESA supplied a transponder and power amplifier for deep space communication, and will utilize its Estrack ground station network to send commands and receive data. ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell expressed her congratulations to JAXA and the MMX team on the successful launch. Elliot Sefton-Nash, the agency’s project scientist for MMX, also praised the H3 launcher for its performance in delivering the spacecraft on its journey.
Sample Collection Scheduled for 2031 in Australia
The spacecraft is anticipated to reach Mars vicinity approximately one year after launch. It will observe Phobos from a quasi-satellite orbit and evaluate potential landing sites before descending. MMX will gather at least 10 grams of material using two different tools. One is a coring sampler attached to a robotic arm, designed to extract regolith from depths greater than 2 cm, and the other is a pneumatic sampler, which uses pressurized gas to push soil into a container.
During its mission, MMX will also conduct flyby observations of Deimos, the smaller of Mars’ moons. After completing its surface and orbital activities, the spacecraft will depart from the Mars system for a return journey lasting about one year. The collected samples are scheduled to be delivered to Earth in 2031, with recovery operations planned in Australia. JAXA announced the mission in 2015, and development started in 2020, initially targeting a 2024 launch, before the schedule was pushed back to 2026.