Japan Prepares Mission to Collect Samples from Martian Moon
The Martian Moons eXploration mission, known as MMX, is scheduled to lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, aboard an H3 rocket.
The project aims to make history by becoming the first mission to land on Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, gather samples from its surface and transport them back to Earth.
Led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the mission has been developed around three modules. Its total development cost stands at 55.3 billion yen, equivalent to nearly $350 million.
The exploration module is equipped with sampling technology, a range of scientific observation instruments and two ultra-high-definition cameras to support its investigation of Phobos.
The spacecraft is expected to reach the vicinity of Mars roughly one year after launch, beginning an observation phase scheduled to last three years.
The return module is expected to bring the collected material back to Earth during the Japanese fiscal year ending in March 2032, potentially providing researchers with new information about the Martian moon and the formation of the solar system.
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