Phobos, the small moon circling Mars, has so far been studied only through telescopes and spacecraft images. Japan wants to bring a piece of it home. Japan's space agency JAXA on Tuesday successfully launched the world's first mission to collect samples from a Martian moon, The Express Tribune reported, citing Kyodo News.
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe separated from its H3 rocket and entered its planned orbit. The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southwestern Japan at 4.41am local time (19:41 GMT on Monday). JAXA project manager Makoto Arita said the spacecraft reached orbit with "exceptional precision".
The road to Phobos
The 4,480-kilogram spacecraft is heading for Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons, and is due to enter Martian orbit in August 2027. A French-German rover will land on Phobos first, followed by two landings by the Japanese spacecraft to collect samples.
The probe will then observe Mars's second moon, Deimos, before leaving Martian orbit in November 2030. The samples are expected to reach Earth in July 2031.
Lift-off after a two-year delay
The launch was originally planned for 2024 but was delayed after the failure of the H3 rocket's maiden flight in 2023. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the launch and said she hoped the historic mission would succeed.
The international mission aims to work out how Mars's moons formed and to advance technology for future planetary exploration. If all goes to plan, soil from Phobos will be in laboratories on Earth in under five years.