Japan sends MMX probe toward Mars’ moons aboard H3 rocket
The five-year mission seeks to return samples from Phobos that could provide clues about the beginnings of the solar system and life on Earth.
Japan began a five-year sample-return mission on Oct. 20, 2026, launching the MMX probe aboard an H3 rocket toward Mars’ moons. The mission targets material from Phobos.
Liftoff occurred at 4:41 a.m. at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. At 5:53 a.m., the spacecraft successfully detached from its rocket.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) developed the probe, whose full name is Martian Moons eXploration. Samples retrieved by the mission could help researchers investigate how the solar system began and how life originated on Earth.
