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Japan’s MMX launches on H3 rocket for planned Phobos sample return
Japan’s JAXA-led MMX spacecraft launched aboard an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center. The mission plans to study Phobos and Deimos, land twice on Phobos to collect samples, and return them to Earth in 2031. If successful, MMX would become the first spacecraft to land on Phobos and bring samples back to Earth.
What to know
- 01
MMX is expected to reach Mars in August 2027 and spend about three years in the Martian system.
- 02
The mission plans to return 10 grams of Phobos samples, with at least 15% allocated to NASA for research.
Why it matters
The samples and orbital observations could help scientists clarify the origins of Mars’s two moons and study the early evolution of the solar system.
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