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Japan launches MMX sample-return mission to Mars moon Phobos

Confirmed1 source · Oct 19, 2026

The Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft lifted off October 19 from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H3 rocket, beginning a multi-year mission to study and collect samples from Phobos.

Japan launches MMX sample-return mission to Mars moon Phobos
Image via Space.com

What happened

Japan's JAXA launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on October 19 at 3:41 p.m. EDT from Tanegashima Space Center. The spacecraft will arrive at the Mars system in August 2027 and enter orbit around Phobos in September 2027. A French-German rover called Idefix will deploy to Phobos' surface in early 2029 to analyze the moon's composition and texture, followed by the main spacecraft's landing in 2030 to collect at least 10 grams of samples. The return capsule is scheduled to land on Earth in 2031.

Context

Phobos and Deimos remain poorly understood despite being Mars' only two moons; scientists do not yet know whether they are fragments from a massive impact on Mars or ancient captured asteroids, a distinction that could illuminate whether Mars or Earth acquired water and organic compounds during the solar system's early formation. Successfully returning samples will answer a fundamental question about planetary history and the origins of potentially habitable conditions. Japan has demonstrated sample-return capability with previous missions to asteroids Itokawa (2010) and Ryugu (2020). NASA is a mission partner, providing scientific instruments, technology demonstration, communication support, and funding for American scientists. The launch was delayed from its originally planned 2024 date due to H3 rocket issues, requiring a wait until planetary alignment allowed the next feasible launch window.