Japan launches first world mission to a moon of Mars

Japan launches first world mission to a moon of Mars October 20, 2026Japanese scientists launched a spacecraft on Tuesday (10/20/2026) that aspires to be the first to collect samples of Phobos, one of the moons of Mars, which could help unveil the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth. The flagship rocket H3, which carries the unmanned probe Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), launched from the Tanegashima Space Center at 04:41 local time, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Shortly thereafter, they reported that it was heading towards the Martian region after a successful separation. If successful, the spacecraft will arrive in August at Phobos, the largest Martian moon, to land and collect at least ten grams of material. The mission seeks to be the first round trip to this area with international collaboration. JAXA indicated that the mission will also explore the possibility of using Phobos as a "natural space station" by establishing the requirements for a round trip to Mars, something "essential for the crewed exploration of Mars." The mission will also explore using Phobos as a "natural space station" for future human explorations and will observe the other Martian moon, Deimos, although it will not land on it. The development of the spacecraft's landing bases was particularly difficult, as the gravity on Phobos is extremely low, scientists from JAXA said. It is not the first time Japan has returned with space samples: in 2020 it returned with 5.4 grams of rock and sand collected from an asteroid hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth. gs (afp, efe) Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you trust this site for reliable information, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google: click here and check the box or press the DW.com button to always see our verified news in your preferences.