OMM Newsroom
Japan successfully launched a spacecraft on Tuesday on the world’s first mission to collect rock and sand samples from a Martian moon, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe separated from an “H3” rocket and entered its planned orbit, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced, according to Kyodo News Agency.
The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at 4.41 am local time on Tuesday (1941 GMT on Monday). JAXA project manager Makoto Arita said the spacecraft had reached its planned orbit with “exceptional precision”.
The 4,480-kilogram spacecraft will travel to Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons, and is scheduled to enter Martian orbit in August 2027.
A French-German rover is due to land on Phobos first. The Japanese spacecraft is then scheduled to make two landings to collect samples.
The probe will later observe Deimos, Mars’ second moon, before leaving Martian orbit in November 2030. It is expected to return samples to Earth in July 2031.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the launch and expressed hope that the historic mission would succeed.
The launch was initially scheduled for 2024 but was delayed after the “H3” rocket’s maiden flight failed in 2023.
The international MMX mission aims to determine how Mars’ moons formed and advance technologies for future planetary exploration.
