The unmanned spacecraft for the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission from Japan started its journey to one of Mars' moons late on Monday. This mission aims to be the first to return samples from this moon to Earth and help decode the mysterious origins of the solar system.
Mission details and timeline
This spacecraft is set to arrive at Mars in August 2027 and will attempt to collect samples from Phobos, the largest moon of Mars. Additionally, a German-French robot named IDEFIX will be sent to the surface of Phobos to examine the moon's surface.
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The flagship H3 rocket carrying the MMX probe was launched at 4:41 AM local time (19:41 GMT) from the Tanegashima Space Center. Flight officials greeted this success with excitement and joy, and thousands watched the event live.
Expectations from discoveries
After JAXA announced that the probe successfully separated from the H3 rocket and has "begun its journey towards the Martian system," scientists hope the discoveries from this probe will aid future human explorations. Nikki Fox, director of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, stated, "The samples from MMX will change science in the Martian system for generations to come; especially as NASA prepares to send the first humans to Mars."
JAXA also hopes this mission will shed light on how Mars and its two moons formed and unlock a key piece of knowledge about the formation of the solar system. One theory suggests that Mars' two moons formed after a large celestial body collided with the planet. Another theory proposes that these moons are asteroids captured by Mars' gravity.
Technical details and planning
This probe is expected to reach near Mars in August 2027 and will orbit one of the two natural moons of the planet, Phobos. The IDEFIX robot, named after characters from the Asterix comics, will be the first device to travel to the surface of Phobos to conduct surface observations and ensure the safe landing of the Japanese probe.
The MMX probe will dedicate about two hours to collect at least 10 grams of material from the surface of this moon and will then return to space. Additionally, this probe will also examine Mars' other moon, Deimos, during its multiple flybys.
Another goal of this mission is to investigate the feasibility of using Phobos as a "natural space station" and will determine the necessary requirements for conducting round trips. Phobos is an irregularly shaped, potato-like rock with a width of about 22 kilometers.
This mission, aimed at conducting the first round trip to the Martian region, is a collaboration between the space agencies of the United States and Europe, as well as several private technology companies.
Space agencies from the United States and China are also working to return the first rock samples from the surface of Mars to Earth. NASA's fast robot, Perseverance, which has been exploring the planet since 2021, has collected samples, but the mission to return to Earth was canceled due to a congressional vote in January under former President Donald Trump.
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