Japan is preparing to launch an ambitious space mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, in a bid to uncover clues about the origins of the Martian moons and the formation of the solar system.
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is scheduled to lift off aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at 4.41am on Tuesday, October 20, local time.
The spacecraft is expected to reach the Martian system in 2027 and spend about three years studying Phobos and conducting observations of Deimos, Mars’ smaller outer moon. The mission aims to return at least 10 grams of material from Phobos to Earth in 2031.
If successful, the mission would mark the first time samples have been collected from a moon of Mars and brought back to Earth.
Scientists hope the material will help resolve a long-standing debate over how Phobos and Deimos formed. One theory suggests the moons are asteroids captured by Mars’ gravitational pull, while another proposes they formed from debris thrown into space after a large object collided with the planet.
Understanding their origins could provide important insights into the early history of Mars and the wider solar system.
International Collaboration
The mission involves international cooperation, including contributions from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency CNES and the German Aerospace Center.
A small rover named IDEFIX, developed through French-German collaboration, will be deployed to examine Phobos’ surface and help identify suitable locations for the spacecraft to land and collect samples.
The spacecraft will use sampling equipment designed to gather surface material from the moon. Its return capsule is expected to arrive on Earth in 2031, with the samples scheduled to be recovered in Australia for scientific analysis.
Researchers hope the returned material could reveal the composition of Phobos, including whether it contains material originating from Mars itself.
Preparing for Future Mars Exploration
Beyond its scientific objectives, the MMX mission will test technologies that could support future exploration of Mars and its surroundings.
Operating around Phobos presents considerable challenges because the moon has extremely weak gravity, making landing, navigation and sample collection difficult. The spacecraft will need to perform many operations with limited real-time control from Earth because of communication delays.
JAXA also plans to use the mission to study whether Phobos could serve as a staging point for future human exploration of Mars.
Japan has previously demonstrated its sample-return capabilities through its Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 asteroid missions, which successfully brought extraterrestrial material back to Earth.
The MMX mission builds on that experience while venturing into a largely unexplored part of the Martian system. Its findings could help scientists better understand how planetary bodies formed and how the conditions necessary for life may have developed across the solar system.
