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The mission aims to make Japan the first country to retrieve samples from a Martian moon. If successful, the spacecraft will reach Mars around August next year.
Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons, is seen in this undated image taken by NASA.
Japan launched a spacecraft on Tuesday in a pioneering mission to collect samples from one of Mars’ moons and bring them back to Earth, potentially offering clues to the origins of the Solar System and the emergence of life.
The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe lifted off aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre at 4.41 am local time, according to a livestream by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The mission aims to make Japan the first country to retrieve samples from a Martian moon. If successful, the spacecraft will reach Mars around August next year and study its moon Phobos.
It is expected to land on Phobos and collect at least 10 grams of surface material during its planned three-year mission in the Martian region.
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October 20, 2026, 03:18 IST
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