Japan plans mission to launch for Mars’s potato moon
The MMX probe is to bring samples from a Martian moon back to Earth.
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Japan plans to launch the Martian Moons eXploration mission to Phobos, one of Mars’s two small moons, on Tuesday. The mission is intended to collect material from the surface and return it to Earth in 2031.
According to JAXA’s schedule, the probe will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on an H3 rocket. According to ESA, the launch is scheduled for 20 October Japanese time, which means the evening of 19 October in Europe. The mission is led by Japan’s space agency, JAXA.
MMX will investigate both Phobos and Deimos, but will collect samples from Phobos. AP describes the moon’s irregular shape as resembling a potato. Among other things, scientists want to find out how Mars’s moons formed and how they have evolved over time.
The probe must first travel to the Mars system and study the two moons there. A small rover will then be deployed on Phobos. According to the mission plan, MMX will subsequently collect material from the surface before a capsule begins the return journey to Earth.
ESA names 2031 as the target year for the return capsule’s arrival. NASA says it is supplying an instrument to help investigate the moon’s composition. The schedule may still change because of technical problems, weather conditions or adjustments to the launch campaign.
The research is scientifically important because samples collected on site differ from measurements taken remotely. At the same time, the mission is not evidence that Phobos is a suitable destination for humans. Its possible significance for future crewed missions to Mars is a research question, not an established result.
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The mission, its objective and the planned timeline have been confirmed by JAXA, ESA, NASA and AP. The launch and subsequent sample collection are future plans and are therefore described as scheduled.
- confirmed MMX is intended to bring samples from Phobos back to Earth. — Confirmed by JAXA, ESA and AP. source
- confirmed The launch is scheduled for 20 October 2026 Japanese time. — Confirmed by ESA. source
- confirmed The return to Earth is targeted for 2031. — Mentioned by ESA and NASA. source
- confirmed NASA is supplying an instrument for the mission. — Described by NASA. source
Editor's note
The launch is scheduled, not guaranteed. The sample collection and return are years away; scientific conclusions can only be drawn after the material has been analysed.Sources
- Japan to launch spacecraft on a mission to get samples from a Martian moon — AP News
- Mars moon lander set to launch on 19 October — European Space Agency
- MMX — Martian Moons eXploration — JAXA
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