Japan launches uncrewed probe to collect samples from Martian moon Phobos

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched its uncrewed Martian Moons eXploration mission toward Mars on an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center. The Brighter Side of News and Phys.org Space reported that the launch occurred on October 20 in Japan, which corresponds to October 19 in the United States. Military Aerospace added that the spacecraft carries a European rover. [1][6][11]

The primary objective of the mission is to collect soil samples from Phobos and bring them back to Earth. The Brighter Side of News reported that the spacecraft carries a target list of at least 10 grams of material. According to the publication, if the attempt succeeds, these will be the first samples returned from a moon other than Earth's moon. [1]

Several international space agencies are participating in the project alongside Japan. The Brighter Side of News listed NASA, the European Space Agency, France's CNES, and the German Aerospace Center as partners. The European Space Agency separately confirmed the lift-off of the mission toward Phobos. [1][10]

The origin of the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, remains uncertain. Scientific hypotheses include captured asteroids or debris produced by a giant impact on Mars. The planet travels around the Sun in an elliptical orbit lasting 687 Earth days and lacks a global magnetic field. [15]

The collected samples are scheduled to arrive on Earth in 2031, according to The Brighter Side of News. Scientists hope the retrieved grains of material will resolve how Mars acquired its moons. [1]