Japan prepares mission to explore the moons of Mars

Yesterday 10:00

By: Azzat Manal

Japan prepares mission to explore the moons of Mars

Japan is preparing an ambitious space mission aimed at studying Mars and its two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. The Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission is designed to investigate the origins of the moons and collect material that could provide new clues about the early history of the solar system.

Led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the mission involves international cooperation with France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center in 2026, with its return to Earth planned for 2031.

A central objective of MMX is to land on Phobos and collect more than 10 grams of soil and rock. The French-German rover IDEFIX will also examine the moon's surface, studying its composition and geological characteristics.

The spacecraft will additionally observe Deimos through a series of close flybys. Unlike Phobos, however, it is not expected to land on Deimos before beginning its journey back to Earth. The sample-return capsule is planned to land in Australia in July 2031.

Scientists hope the mission will help resolve a long-standing question about the origins of Mars' moons. One theory suggests that Phobos and Deimos formed from material produced by a massive impact on Mars, while another proposes that they are asteroids that were captured by the planet's gravity.

Determining their origins could provide valuable information about the formation and evolution of the solar system and the development of rocky planets. Samples from Phobos may also contain ancient material that could help researchers investigate how water, organic compounds and other volatile substances were transported through the inner solar system.

The mission has objectives beyond studying the moons themselves. Researchers are also interested in Phobos as a potential staging point for future exploration around Mars. MMX will collect data on the radiation environment surrounding the planet, an important consideration for future crewed missions.

Japan has considerable experience in retrieving extraterrestrial samples. The country's Hayabusa2 mission successfully returned material from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth in 2020, providing valuable technological and scientific experience for the MMX project.

The mission comes as several space agencies intensify efforts to study Mars and its surroundings. By bringing samples from Phobos back to Earth, Japan and its international partners hope to offer scientists an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the history of Mars and the broader processes that shaped the planetary system.