Japan readies MMX mission to Mars moons for samples

Japan last week revealed its MMX spacecraft, set to launch from Tanegashima Space Center in the coming months. The unmanned mission will target Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos to collect samples that could help explain the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.

MMX will spend three years in Mars orbit, attempt to land on Phobos to collect at least 10 grams of material, and observe Deimos without landing. A French-built rover IDEFIX will study the surface. A return capsule is expected to land in Australia around 2031.

China's Tianwen-3, scheduled for 2028 launch, could return Mars samples around 2031, potentially before MMX. NASA's Perseverance sample return was cancelled by the Trump administration. JAXA also sees the mission as a step toward crewed Mars exploration.