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Japan launches $578 million mission to retrieve samples from Martian moon Phobos

Developing1 source · Oct 20, 2026

The Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft lifted off Monday on a five-year expedition to land on and sample Mars's largest moon, marking Japan's most ambitious interplanetary mission.

Japan launches $578 million mission to retrieve samples from Martian moon Phobos
Image via Ars Technica

What happened

Japan's JAXA launched the MMX spacecraft Monday at 3:41 pm EDT from Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H3 rocket equipped with four strap-on solid boosters in a new configuration. The nearly 9,900-pound spacecraft separated from the rocket approximately 71 minutes after liftoff and reached speeds exceeding 24,000 mph to escape Earth's gravity for the 10-month transit to Mars. MMX established contact with ground controllers and unfurled its solar panels shortly after separation, entering a stable condition. The $578 million mission aims to land on Phobos, retrieve samples, and return them to Earth—a first for the Martian moons.

Context

The mission represents Japan's most challenging interplanetary undertaking to date, building on the nation's prior success with the Hayabusa and Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample-return missions. Scientists hope MMX will test the theory that Phobos is an asteroid captured into Martian orbit billions of years ago. If successful, the retrieved samples could provide new insights into Solar System formation and advance Japan's space exploration and technology capabilities.