Saturday, September 12, 2026
Science

A new surface atlas of Phobos will help MMX mission collect its samples

Thanks to JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and its sample-return capabilities, we're on the cusp of receiving our first sample from the Martian system—not from Mars itself, but from its largest moon, Phobos. JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is set to launch in October. It...

A new surface atlas of Phobos will help MMX mission collect its samples
Image: Phys.org
Thanks to JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and its sample-return capabilities, we're on the cusp of receiving our first sample from the Martian system—not from Mars itself, but from its largest moon, Phobos. JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is set to launch in October. It will reach Phobos in 2027 and, if successful, return a sample from the moon to Earth in 2031.

Originally published at Phys.org

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