TOKYO, Japan / AsiaWire.IO / – A spacecraft from Japan has commenced its expedition to Mars with the goal of studying its two diminutive moons and retrieving samples. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft, known as MMX, atop an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch occurred shortly before dawn at 04:41 Japan time on Tuesday, October 20. Over the course of five years, the mission aims to deploy a robotic lander and a rover on Phobos.
Phobos, the larger and nearer of Mars’ two moons, is the primary target for MMX. This mission is anticipated to be the first to orbit Phobos and to gather surface samples for analysis. Additionally, it seeks to become the first mission to return material from the Mars system to Earth. JAXA leads this international effort in collaboration with NASA, the French space agency CNES, the German Aerospace Center DLR, and the European Space Agency. The launch was successful, with spacecraft separation confirmed after liftoff.
The core scientific question driving the mission concerns the origins of Mars’ moons. One prevailing theory, the giant impact hypothesis, proposes that they formed following a collision between Mars and a massive object. An alternative, the capture hypothesis, suggests that they are asteroids from the outer Solar System that were captured by Mars’ gravity. JAXA states that remote sensing and detailed analysis of the samples returned will help determine their true origins.
International partners contribute rover and scientific instruments
CNES and DLR supplied a compact rover named IDEFIX, weighing less than 30 kg. This rover will precede the main spacecraft to Phobos, studying how the surface reacts to mechanical interaction and testing wheeled mobility. NASA added a neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer called MEGANE. CNES also assisted with developing an infrared spectrometer and provides expertise in flight dynamics. The spacecraft carries a total of seven scientific instruments.
ESA supplied deep space communication components, including a transponder and power amplifier, and will support the mission through its Estrack ground station network. ESA project scientist Elliot Sefton-Nash praised Japan’s H3 launcher for its excellent performance in delivering the spacecraft. Carole Mundell, ESA Director of Science, extended her congratulations to JAXA and the MMX team for the successful launch.
Sample return scheduled for 2031 after a year-long journey
Following launch, MMX is projected to arrive at Mars roughly a year later, with ESA estimating a summer arrival. The spacecraft will initially orbit Phobos in a quasi-satellite configuration and survey potential landing sites. It will then land to collect at least 10 grams of surface material using a coring sampler on a robotic arm capable of reaching depths over 2 cm, and a pneumatic system that uses pressurized gas to push soil into a container.
Post-sampling, MMX will observe Mars’ smaller moon, Deimos, during a flyby. The spacecraft will then depart from the Mars system for a return trip of approximately one year. The sample return capsule is planned to deliver its cargo in 2031, with recovery efforts taking place in Australia. The mission was approved in 2020 and was initially scheduled for launch in 2024, but the timeline was later adjusted to 2026.