Isophoric News · Thursday, October 22, 2026
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration mission launches toward Mars and its moon Phobos
Japan launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft on an H3 rocket at 4:41 a.m. Japan time Tuesday, which was 3:41 p.m. EDT Monday, from the Tanegashima Space Center, Ars Technica reported. Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, called the launch a success, and the mission's project manager, Yasuhiro Kawakatsu, said the spacecraft had made contact, unfurled its solar panels and was in "very stable condition." The spacecraft is to arrive at Mars next August, spend about three years nearby and land on Phobos in 2029 to collect at least 10 grams of material, which a capsule is to carry back to a landing zone in South Australia in 2031, according to Ars Technica. Ars put the mission's cost at $578 million, and said U.S. researchers will receive 15 percent of the samples in return for NASA's contributions, which include one of the two sampling devices.
