Japan has launched a landmark mission to one of Mars’ mysterious moons, beginning a five-year journey to bring samples of another world back to Earth.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on October 20, 2026, local time. The spacecraft separated from the rocket as planned and entered its intended trajectory, marking a successful start to the mission.
MMX aims to collect material from Phobos, one of Mars’ two small moons, and return it to Earth in 2031. If successful, it will become the first mission to return samples from a moon in the Martian system.
Why Japan Is Exploring Phobos
Phobos is a small, irregularly shaped moon that orbits Mars much closer to the planet than Earth’s Moon orbits Earth. Despite its modest size, it could hold important clues about how Mars and its moons formed.
Scientists are still debating the origins of Phobos and Deimos, Mars’ two moons. One theory suggests that they formed from debris thrown into orbit after a large object struck Mars. Another proposes that they are asteroids captured by the planet’s gravity.
By studying Phobos up close and analyzing material collected from its surface, researchers hope to distinguish between these possibilities and better understand the early history of the Solar System.
A Five-Year Journey to the Martian System
The MMX spacecraft is expected to reach the Mars system in 2027. It will study Phobos in detail, map its surface and help identify a suitable location for sample collection. The mission will also observe Deimos from a distance.
The spacecraft is designed to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos. A small rover developed through French and German cooperation will help investigate the moon’s surface before the main spacecraft carries out its sampling operations.
After completing its observations and collection activities, MMX will begin the journey back to Earth. JAXA currently targets 2031 for the return of the sample capsule.
What the Samples Could Reveal
The material brought back from Phobos could help scientists determine whether the moon formed from debris created by an impact on Mars or originated elsewhere in the Solar System.
Laboratory analysis on Earth would allow researchers to study the samples in greater detail than a spacecraft could manage with its onboard instruments. The findings could also shed light on the movement of water-bearing and organic materials through the early Solar System.
The mission builds on Japan’s experience with the Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return missions. It also involves international partners, including NASA and European teams contributing scientific instruments and technology.
The launch marks the beginning of the mission, not its final success. MMX must still navigate the journey to Mars, study Phobos, collect the samples and return them safely to Earth. If it achieves those goals, the mission could provide a major advance in understanding the origins of Mars’ moons and the evolution of our planetary neighborhood.
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