Japan Launches MMX Probe to Retrieve Samples from Mars Moon Phobos

Japan’s unmanned Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft is scheduled to launch on Tuesday from the Tanegashima Space Center, marking the beginning of a mission to retrieve samples from the moon Phobos. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the probe will ride on a H3 rocket and is expected to arrive near Mars one year after launch. The mission is designed to be the first round-trip exploration of the Martian region, involving a complex journey to escape the planet's gravity well after collecting material.

The spacecraft will orbit Phobos for up to three years before landing to collect at least 10 grams of surface material. A rover named IDEFIX will conduct preliminary surface observations to ensure a safe landing, a process complicated by the extremely weak gravity on Phobos. JAXA scientists noted that developing the landing legs was particularly challenging due to these conditions. The mission will also observe the smaller moon Deimos, though it will not land on it, before returning to Earth.

Scientists hope the samples will resolve competing theories regarding the origin of the Martian moons. One hypothesis suggests they formed from a giant impact, while another proposes they are captured asteroids. Determining which theory is correct could reveal how habitable environments arose on terrestrial planets. Patrick Michel, a French astrophysicist involved in the project, stated that the moons may hold clues to the transport of materials essential for the emergence of life on rocky planets.

The MMX mission is a collaboration involving JAXA, France’s CNES, Germany’s DLR, NASA, and the European Space Agency, along with numerous universities and tech companies. While US and Chinese agencies race to return samples from the Martian surface, this mission focuses on the moons. JAXA project manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu described the sampling as a world first, emphasizing that it represents the first round trip to the Martian system. The mission may also establish requirements for using Phobos as a natural space station for future crewed exploration.