A Japanese spacecraft embarked on a mission to Mars on Tuesday with the goal of exploring the planet’s enigmatic moons and returning samples. This unprecedented five-year endeavor involves a collaboration of five major space agencies aiming to land a robotic prospector and a rover on Phobos, the larger of Mars’s two moons.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spearheaded the ambitious sampling mission, launching the spacecraft from Tanegashima Island’s main spaceport in the early morning. An hour after liftoff, officials confirmed the successful separation of the spacecraft from the rocket’s upper stage, prompting jubilant celebrations among flight controllers.
While NASA has a history of successful Mars landings and China achieved a touchdown in 2021, no previous mission has ventured to Phobos or its companion moon, Deimos, nor has any mission retrieved samples from Mars or its moons. If all goes according to plan, samples of dust, soil, and rocks from Phobos will reach Earth in 2031.
Japan holds a strategic advantage due to its previous experience with two asteroid sample returns. The mission, known as Martian Moons Exploration (MMX), is valued at $812 million and features a sizable five-ton spacecraft set to reach Mars by late summer. The spacecraft will rendezvous with Phobos and deploy the French-German rover named Idefix, designed to explore the moon’s surface.
After landing, Idefix, about the size of a microwave oven, will navigate Phobos, acting as a safety scout for the subsequent descent of a stationary lander to collect samples. The lander will spend a brief two hours drilling and collecting at least 10 grams of material before departing for Earth, with a planned sample delivery in the Australian desert in 2031.
The mission aims to unravel the mysteries surrounding Mars’s moons’ formation, potentially shedding light on their origins following a collision with a space rock or their capture as stray asteroids. The findings are expected to enhance our understanding of planetary and moon formation and may provide insights into the potential for life beyond Earth.
This mission represents a unique opportunity for scientific discovery, with Japan, China, and NASA all striving to unlock the secrets hidden within the Martian system’s rocks and soil. Both Japan and China are racing to retrieve samples from Mars by 2031, each investing significant resources in this groundbreaking endeavor.