A Japanese spacecraft has embarked on a pioneering five-year mission to explore the moons of Mars and return physical samples to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the probe, known as Martian Moons Exploration (MMX), from the Tanegashima Island spaceport early Tuesday morning. This $578 million project represents a collaborative effort involving five international space agencies.
The mission aims to reach the Martian system by late next summer. Once in orbit, the 5-ton spacecraft will deploy a French-German rover named Idefix, which is roughly the size of a microwave oven. Designed to navigate the moon's extremely low gravity, Idefix will spend 100 days scouting the surface of Phobos. Julien Baroukh of the French Space Agency noted that the rover will move at a cautious speed of one millimeter per second to avoid hazards, acting as a safety scout for the main lander.
Following the scouting phase, the primary spacecraft is scheduled to land on Phobos between 2028 and 2029. It will spend approximately two hours on the surface, utilizing drilling and vacuum technology to collect at least 10 grams of material. After conducting flybys of the smaller moon, Deimos, the craft is expected to depart the Martian system in 2030, with the samples projected to land in the Australian desert in 2031.
Scientists hope that analyzing these samples will clarify the origins of Phobos and Deimos, specifically whether they are captured asteroids or the result of an ancient collision involving Mars. NASA astrophysicist Tom Statler expressed the significance of the endeavor, stating, "There's a lot of adrenaline and a lot of excitement and a lot of wow." Markus Grebenstein of the German Space Agency added, "It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We are part of the first sample return mission from the Martian system."
The mission is funded by a coalition of international partners, with Japan contributing $350 million, NASA providing $87 million, the French Space Agency $68 million, the German Space Agency $56 million, and the European Space Agency $17 million. While other nations, including China, are planning their own Mars sample return efforts, Japan’s current mission marks the first attempt to specifically target the Martian moons.
