Japan prepares MMX spacecraft launch to collect samples from Martian moon Phobos

Japan is preparing to launch the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft on October 20 to gather soil samples from Phobos, the largest moon of Mars. New Scientist and India Today both reported the scheduled launch date for the mission, which will lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. New Scientist reported that the probe is scheduled to reach Mars in August 2027. [1][6][8]

The mission aims to resolve long-standing questions regarding the origin of the two small, irregularly shaped moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. Phys.org noted that scientists are uncertain whether these celestial bodies were asteroids captured by gravity or debris produced when a large body collided with Mars early in its history. Nature World News reported that the probe will use compressed nitrogen gas blasts to collect physical soil samples from the surface of Phobos. [1][2][5][9]

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced the robotic space probe project in June 2015. In addition to collecting samples from Phobos, the probe is designed to perform flyby observations of Deimos and monitor the atmosphere of Mars. India Today reported that the collected rock and soil samples are expected to return to Earth in 2031. [6][7]