Japan’s space agency has launched the Mars Moons Exploration (MMX) mission toward Phobos, one of two small moons orbiting Mars. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at its destination in August 2027 and will attempt to collect samples from the moon’s surface for return to Earth in 2031, landing in Australia’s Woomera desert.
The mission represents an unprecedented undertaking in several respects. No rover has previously landed on such a small celestial body, and Phobos presents particular challenges due to its minimal gravity coupled with the gravitational pull of the nearby Mars. The spacecraft will deploy a small rover to scout a landing site before the main craft touches down to collect approximately 10 grams of material using a robotic arm and sampling equipment.
Scientists hope the samples will resolve longstanding questions about Phobos and Deimos’s origins. Two competing theories exist: either a massive impact early in Mars’s history created both moons from debris, or they are asteroids captured from the outer solar system by Mars’s gravity. The distinct chemical and mineral compositions resulting from each scenario should provide clear answers once laboratory analysis begins.
An additional scientific benefit may emerge from the mission. Because Phobos orbits very close to Mars, impacts on the Martian surface may have embedded grains of Mars material onto the moon, potentially allowing scientists to analyze pristine Martian samples directly. This stands in contrast to Martian meteorites found on Earth, which become contaminated upon arrival.
The MMX mission occurs within a broader international effort to obtain Mars samples. NASA’s Perseverance rover has been collecting materials since 2021, though a planned sample-return mission was effectively cancelled after funding was halted by Congress. China has announced plans for its own Martian sampling mission, scheduled to launch in 2028 with a target return date of 2031.
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