GoKawiilJAXA's MMX Mission Launches to Attempt Unprecedented Landings on Mars Moon Phobos
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, led by Japan's space agency JAXA, launched successfully on 20 October to study Phobos, one of Mars' two small moons. The mission aims to orbit the low-gravity moon, land on its loosely packed surface, and collect samples to return to Earth, addressing long-standing questions about the moon's origins.
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The mission's engineers face unusual technical hurdles because Phobos has almost no gravity, making landing and sample collection far more complex than on larger bodies like the Moon or Mars itself. According to JAXA project manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu, the challenge is comparable to trying to land a balloon without it tilting or bouncing. Successful data from MMX could help resolve competing theories about whether Phobos is a captured asteroid or debris from an ancient impact on Mars, offering broader insight into the solar system's formation.
- MMX, led by JAXA, launched on 20 October to explore Mars' moon Phobos.
- The mission plans an unprecedented series of landings on Phobos' low-gravity surface and sample collection for return to Earth.
- Scientists hope the findings will clarify whether Phobos originated as a captured asteroid or from debris after an impact on Mars.
Source: spectrum.ieee.org — Andrew Jones, 2026-11-06
Published there as: “How Do You Land on a Moon With Almost No Gravity?”
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