Japan Prepares for Historic Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Mission to Collect Phobos Samples

Japan is set to launch its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on October 20, 2026, aiming to be the world's first mission to land on Mars' moon Phobos, collect samples, and return them to Earth. The mission, a collaboration with US and European space agencies, seeks to uncover clues about the formation of Mars' moons and potentially the origins of life in the solar system. The spacecraft will collect at least 10 grams of soil from Phobos, with a rover, IDEFIX, first conducting surface observations.