Historic mission sets off to bring Martian moon samples home

Japan has launched a spacecraft towards Mars in an attempt to return the first samples collected from one of the planet’s moons.

The Martian Moons eXploration probe, known as MMX, lifted off aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4.41am Japanese time on Tuesday, 20 October.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, confirmed that the rocket followed its planned flight path and successfully separated from the spacecraft about 71 minutes after launch.

MMX will focus on Phobos, the larger of Mars’s two moons, collecting surface material for return to Earth in 2031.

The mission aims to bring back at least 10 grams of material while examining the moon’s composition, structure and terrain.

Scientists hope the findings will help establish whether the Martian moons originated as captured asteroids or formed from material ejected by a major impact.

The samples could also improve understanding of how water and organic material moved through the early Solar System, helping explain the conditions that made planets habitable.

Successful launch marks the beginning of the mission. Collecting the samples and returning them safely remain ahead.

Sources: JAXA, launch confirmation, 20 October; JAXA, MMX mission overview.