Japanese Spacecraft Launches Toward Martian Moons on Five-Year Sampling Quest
“There’s a lot of adrenaline and a lot of excitement and a lot of wow,” noted Tom Statler, a NASA astrophysicist, as AP News detailed how a Japanese spacecraft launched toward Mars on Tuesday to embark on a groundbreaking mission to investigate its enigmatic moons and retrieve samples. Five of the world’s space agencies joined forces for the five-year mission, which will attempt to land a robotic prospector and a rover on Phobos, the larger and closer of Mars’ two pint-sized moons.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency led the sampling effort, launching the spacecraft before dawn from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan. Flight controllers celebrated an hour later when the spacecraft separated as planned from the rocket’s upper stage following liftoff aboard an H3 rocket.
Engineering the Descent to Phobos and the Microwave-Sized Rover
Dubbed MMX for Martian Moons Exploration, the $578 million mission features a hefty 5-ton spacecraft designed to reach Mars by late next summer. The mothership will sync up with Phobos’ tight orbit before ejecting a French-German rover named Idefix, after the white terrier in the Asterix comics.
Here's everything you need to know about Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Mission. – The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) is a groundbreaking mission led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It aims to be the first mission in history to bring back samples… https://t.co/2vORk2ovQY
No bigger than a microwave oven, Idefix will plop onto the lumpy, potato-shaped moon by itself, bouncing for several minutes before coming to a halt in extraordinarily low gravity. The four-wheeled rover is designed to right itself if it lands upside down, though the French Space Agency’s Julien Baroukh noted that all bets are off if the vehicle sinks into soft soil or wedges between rocks. Once its solar panels deploy, Idefix cannot right itself again, which is why it will crawl at a glacial 1 millimeter per second across the surface.
Scouting Hazards Before the Mothership Drills for Samples
Idefix will serve as a safety scout, prowling around Phobos for 100 days to help Japanese flight controllers avoid powdery soil and rough terrain. Following this reconnaissance, the four-legged stationary mothership will descend to the surface in late 2028 or 2029.
The lander will spend just two hours on the moon, drilling and vacuuming up at least 10 grams, or one-third of an ounce, of material. It will then launch back into space, study Deimos during a series of flybys, and leave the Martian neighborhood in 2030 for a 2031 sample delivery in the Australian desert.
International Rivalries and Scientific Stakes in the Martian System
While NASA has accomplished nine successful Mars landings over the past five decades and China achieved a touchdown in 2021, neither agency nor any other has ever explored Phobos or Deimos, nor has any prior mission successfully recovered samples originating from Mars or its satellites. Russia previously stumbled in three Phobos attempts, and Japan experienced a failed Mars orbit attempt during an earlier mission.
Scientists hope examining pieces of the moon can explain how Mars’ moons — and possibly moons elsewhere — came to be. Japan is investing $350 million in this mission.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Martian Moons Mission
What do the names Phobos and Deimos mean?
The moons are named after the twin sons of the god of war Ares — Mars in Roman mythology. Phobos is Greek for fear, and Deimos means dread.
When are the samples expected to arrive on Earth?
If the mission succeeds, bits of dust, soil, and rock from Phobos will arrive via a sample delivery in the Australian desert in 2031.
Which other space agencies are planning similar missions?
China plans to launch a sample return mission to Mars in 2028, targeting a 2031 return that could place it neck-and-neck with Japan, while NASA continues debating how to retrieve sample tubes collected by the Perseverance rover.
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