A Japanese mission planned for 2031 aims to return samples from Phobos, one of Mars' moons, to Earth. The return capsule is planned to land at Woomera in South Australia, where the samples would be recovered for study. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency leads the mission, which includes the United States, France, Germany and the European Space Agency. South Australian minister Chris Picton said the state was proud to be involved and that the mission could encourage young people towards science and engineering careers. The return depends on the spacecraft completing its journey and sample collection as intended.
Japan has launched a robotic mission to bring back samples from Phobos, the largest moon of Mars. The five-year Martian Moons eXploration mission, known as MMX, lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center on an H3 rocket. The spacecraft is planned to attempt up to two landings on Phobos in 2029, using a coring drill and a gas-powered sampler to collect at least 10 grams of material. A sample return capsule is due to land in South Australia in 2031. Scientists hope the samples will reveal whether Phobos is a captured asteroid or debris from a collision involving Mars.
Japan has launched an international mission to collect sand and rock from Phobos, one of Mars's moons, for the first time. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency leads the mission, which aims to study how Mars and its moons formed. The spacecraft is set to reach Mars in 2027 and attempt two soft landings to collect at least 10 grams of sand. After the samples return to Earth, a capsule is expected to land in Woomera, in South Australia, where the sand sample will be retrieved. Australia's ambassador to Japan attended the launch.
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Japan's space agency, JAXA, is sending a spacecraft to Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, to collect samples. The Martian Moons eXploration mission is due to launch from Tanegashima Space Center and reach Mars after almost a year of travel. Scientists want to know whether the moons are captured asteroids or debris from an ancient collision. The spacecraft aims to bring at least 10 grams of material back to Earth by 2031. Researchers hope the samples will also shed light on how Mars and the wider solar system evolved.
