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Japan launches first round-trip mission to collect samples from Mars moon Phobos

JAXA's MMX probe will land on Phobos, gather surface material, and return to Earth to investigate the origin of Mars's moons and the solar system.

Sources: Citizen Digital, Dawn, 1News3 sources ↓|· 1 min read

KEY POINTS

  • MMX probe launches from Tanegashima on Tuesday at 4:41 am aboard an H3 rocket
  • Mission aims to collect at least 10 grams of samples from Phobos and return them to Earth
  • IDEFIX rover will survey the surface before landing to ensure safety
  • Samples may help determine if the moons resulted from a giant impact or were captured asteroids
  • About 0.1 percent of collected material is expected to come from Mars

Japan is preparing to launch the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tuesday at 4:41 am local time aboard an H3 rocket. The mission, developed with NASA, European agencies, universities, and tech companies, aims to be the world's first round trip to the Martian system.

The spacecraft will reach Mars about one year after launch and orbit Phobos for up to three years before landing. It will collect at least 10 grams of surface material, with an IDEFIX rover conducting observations first to ensure a safe landing.

“Despite their potential importance, Martian moons have never been fully investigated. They are known as the most important unclimbed mountains in the solar system.”

— Yasuhiro Kawakatsu

JAXA hopes the samples will reveal whether Phobos and Deimos formed from a giant impact on Mars or were captured asteroids. Scientists estimate that about 0.1 percent of the collected material may originate from Mars itself.

The mission will also observe Deimos without landing and assess using Phobos as a natural space station for future crewed Mars exploration. The probe is expected to return to Earth after a five-year mission.

READ THE FULL STORYat Citizen Digital

2 more sources below

TOPICS

#Space#Science#Technology#Research

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