Japan successfully launched a spacecraft on what is being described as the world's first mission to collect rock and sand samples from a moon of Mars. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, confirmed that the Martian Moons eXploration probe, called MMX, separated successfully from its H3 rocket and entered its planned orbit.
The mission is designed to travel to Phobos, one of Mars's two small moons, land briefly, collect surface material, and return it to Earth for study. Scientists hope samples from Phobos could help settle a long-running debate about whether Mars's moons are captured asteroids or debris left over from a giant impact on Mars itself. No previous mission has attempted a sample return from either of the Martian moons, making this a genuine first if it succeeds.
The launch adds to a run of ambitious planetary science missions in recent years from space agencies around the world, including sample-return efforts aimed at asteroids and the Moon. Japan's space program has built up experience in this kind of mission through its earlier Hayabusa missions, which successfully returned samples from asteroids.
JAXA has not publicly detailed the full multi-year timeline for MMX's journey to Mars, its operations at Phobos, and its return to Earth, but the successful launch and orbital insertion mark the first major milestone for the mission.
Watch for JAXA's updates on MMX's trajectory toward Mars in the coming months as the probe begins its multi-year journey.
Why study Phobos?
Scientists want samples to help determine whether Phobos is a captured asteroid or material from an ancient impact on Mars.