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Japan launches MMX mission to sample Mars moon Phobos

Original: Japan's MMX spacecraft has launched and separated successfully from its rocket, beginning a mission to retrieve material

Japan's MMX spacecraft has launched and successfully separated from its rocket, beginning a mission to retrieve material from Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons. Scientists hope the samples will clarify how the Martian moons formed. Landing, sample collection and the planned return to Earth in 2031 remain ahead.

Why now: The launch is a major milestone in a rare and ambitious sample-return mission to a Martian moon.

JapanMMX spacecraftPhobosMarsJAXA

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• Japan's MMX spacecraft has launched and separated successfully from its rocket, beginning a mission to retrieve material from Phobos. The samples could help explain the origins of Mars's moons, but landing, collection and the planned 2031 return remain ahead. Japan Launches a… · news@newtqnia.com · 2

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