Japan Initiates Ambitious Mars Moon Sample Retrieval Mission

Japan has launched a mission to land on Phobos, one of Mars' moons, and return samples to Earth by 2031. The MMX spacecraft, launched by JAXA, aims to deploy a rover and collect samples, marking the first such attempt. Previous missions by the USSR and Russia failed.

Key facts

• Japan's JAXA has launched the MMX spacecraft to land on Phobos and return samples by 2031.
• This is the first mission to attempt a landing on Phobos.
• Previous missions by the USSR and Russia failed to land on Phobos.
• The MMX spacecraft will deploy a rover named IDEFIX and attempt two landings to collect samples.
• The mission will also fly past Deimos before returning to Earth.

Sources

• RT