Japan launches historic mission to collect samples from Mars moon Phobos

Japan's MMX mission will collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos and return it to Earth by 2031, aiming to resolve how Mars' two moons formed and evolved

Japan has launched a $578 million mission to bring back the first samples from a Martian moon, Reuters reported, in a bid to settle how Phobos and Deimos formed.

 

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft aboard its H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre on October 20. The spacecraft is expected to reach the Martian system in August 2027 and return samples to Earth in 2031.

 

The mission aims to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos, the larger and closer of Mars’ two moons. If successful, it will become the first mission to return samples from a Martian moon, giving scientists material they can examine in laboratories on Earth.

 

 

Why Phobos?

 

Phobos offers scientists a way to investigate the Martian system without attempting the more difficult task of collecting and returning samples directly from Mars.

 

The moon measures roughly 27 km by 22 km by 18 km and orbits about 6,000 km above Mars. Its relatively weak gravity makes landing and collecting material technically different from operating on a planet with stronger gravity.

 

Its proximity to Mars is another advantage. Scientists believe Phobos may have accumulated debris ejected from the planet by meteorite impacts. Studying this material could provide evidence of how Mars evolved over billions of years.

 

Phobos may also preserve clues about the composition and history of small bodies in the Solar System. Determining whether it originated from a collision involving Mars or was captured from elsewhere would help researchers understand how planetary systems formed.

 

Beyond planetary science, MMX will test technologies needed for future missions to Mars, including surface landings, sample collection and the return of material across interplanetary distances.

 

What will the probe do?

 

MMX will travel for about a year before reaching the Martian system in August 2027. It will then conduct detailed observations of Phobos and study Deimos during flybys.

 

A French-German rover, named IDEFIX, will be deployed to Phobos to examine its surface and help assess suitable landing sites. The main spacecraft is expected to land on Phobos around 2029-30 and collect samples using its sampling equipment.

 

JAXA aims to retrieve at least 10 grams of surface material. The spacecraft will then leave the Martian system and begin its return journey, with the sample capsule expected to reach Earth in 2031. The mission is designed to last about five years.

 

Japan has earlier sent two missions to return samples from asteroids–Hayabusa and Hayabusa2. However, travelling to the Martian system, operating in Phobos’ low-gravity environment and returning samples to Earth will pose a different challenge, scientists say.