Japan's MMX Mission to Mars Moon Phobos Set for Launch, Aiming for Sample Return
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is preparing for launch from the Tanegashima spaceport, targeting Mars' moon Phobos. The mission, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aims to collect samples from Phobos and return them to Earth. The MMX spacecraft, which includes the IDEFIX rover developed with German and French space agencies, will launch on Japan's H3 rocket in late 2026. The mission was delayed from an earlier 2024 schedule due to rocket issues but is now on track. MMX will orbit Mars in 2027, land on Phobos in 2029, and return samples to Earth by 2031. The mission seeks to determine the origins of Mars' moons and provide insights into the solar system's development. 
