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Japan launches MMX mission to sample Martian moon Phobos
Original: Japan launches mission to bring home a piece of the Martian moon Phobos The climax for MMX will come in 2029, when the s
Japan has launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which aims to collect and return the first samples from Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons. The spacecraft will attempt up to two landings on Phobos, with the climax of the mission expected in 2029 when it departs for Earth. Space watchers are drawing comparisons with Japan's successful Hayabusa asteroid sample returns, noting that Phobos material could reveal whether the moon is a captured asteroid or debris from a giant impact on Mars.
Why now: The launch of a bold sample-return mission to Mars's moon is a rare and ambitious milestone in space exploration.
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- Japan launches mission to bring home a piece of the Martian moon Phobos The climax for MMX will come in 2029, when the spacecraft will attempt up to two landings on Phobos. https:// arstechnica.com/space/2026/10/… · techwire@gamefan.net · 3
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