JAXA's MMX Mission to Launch for Phobos Sample Return

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with NASA and ESA, is preparing to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on October 19, 2026. Launching from Tanegashima Space Center, MMX aims to be the first mission to collect a sample from Mars's moon Phobos and return it to Earth. The spacecraft will use a 'quasi-satellite orbit' around Mars and carries 13 scientific instruments to study Phobos's composition and origin.