GoKawiilJAXA Launches MMX Probe to Retrieve First Samples From Mars' Moon Phobos
Japan's space agency has launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, aiming to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons. The spacecraft will spend a year traveling to Mars, three years gathering samples in orbit, and another year returning to Earth, with samples expected to arrive in 2031.
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The mission could finally resolve a long-standing debate over whether Phobos and Deimos formed from debris after a massive impact on Mars or are captured asteroids from the outer solar system. Successfully returning samples would mark a major technical achievement given the mission's complex fuel and staging requirements, and would provide new material to compare against existing Martian surface samples.
- MMX aims to return at least 10 grams of Phobos material to Earth by 2031.
- The mission could settle whether Mars' moons formed from an impact or were captured asteroids.
- The spacecraft requires staged fuel reserves for its multi-year outbound, exploration, and return journey.
Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope — While JAXA's MMX probe spends years chasing Phobos, you can track Mars yourself from the backyard with this computerized reflector. Its motorized GoTo mount finds planets automatically, so you can watch the Red Planet through an opposition season without hunting for it manually.
See Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: wired.com — Ritsuko Kawai, 2026-09-04
Published there as: “Japan Is Launching a Probe to Collect the First-Ever Samples From a Martian Moon”
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