Japan's MMX Mission to Return First Sample from Mars Moon Phobos
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is preparing for a historic journey to the Martian system. Slated for launch aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 04:41 JST on 20 October 2026, the spacecraft will travel to Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons.
MMX represents a collaborative international effort, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in partnership with NASA, the French space agency (CNES), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The mission's primary objective is to land on Phobos, collect surface samples, and transport them back to Earth—an achievement that would mark the first successful return of material from a Mars moon. Scientists hope these samples will provide insights into the composition and origin of Phobos, which could in turn deepen our understanding of Mars itself and the broader evolution of the inner solar system.
Phobos orbits much closer to Mars than its companion moon Deimos, and its proximity makes it a key target for planetary science research. Analyzing pristine material from Phobos could help researchers test hypotheses about whether the moon is a captured asteroid or a fragment of debris from a Martian impact event.