GoKawiil
Tech News
The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo probe separated from its propulsion module on September 3, completing the final phase before entering low orbit around Mercury. The mission, delayed nearly a year after a thruster malfunction forced a slower trajectory, has traveled roughly 9.9 billion kilometers using nine gravity-assist maneuvers around Earth, Venus and Mercury.
Astroscale executive Ron Lopez discussed the company's upcoming ISSA-J1 mission for JAXA, which will require rendezvousing with two decommissioned Japanese satellites rather than a rocket body. Unlike the ADRAS-J2 mission targeting a stable rocket stage, ISSA-J1 must approach satellites with protruding solar arrays that are likely tumbling, demanding more advanced rendezvous and proximity operations technology.
Japan's space agency JAXA plans to launch its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft on October 20, 2026, aiming to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons. The mission, built by Mitsubishi Electric, would take about a year to reach Mars, spend three years studying the planet and its moons, then return samples to Earth by 2031.
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.