Japan has successfully launched the MMX spacecraft, which is set to reach Phobos — one of Mars' moons — and collect soil samples from its surface. The mission also includes a small Franco-German rover named "Idefix," reports Deutsche Welle.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced the successful launch of the H3 rocket with the MMX spacecraft. The launch took place on Tuesday, October 20, from the Tanegashima Space Center.
MMX is an abbreviation for Martian Moons Exploration. The spacecraft weighs five tons. It is expected to return to Earth in 2031. The journey to Phobos' orbit and back will take approximately one year each way.
The mission is designed for five years. Three of these will be spent in orbit, exploring Phobos and Deimos — Mars' second moon. Their diameters are only about 20 and 10 kilometers, respectively. Landings on Phobos are also planned to study its surface and collect soil samples. First, a small autonomous rover is expected to descend onto the moon, followed by the MMX spacecraft itself.
The project's cost is estimated at 578 million dollars. Japan, the USA, France, Germany, and the European Space Agency are participating. France and Germany jointly developed the "Idefix" rover, named after the dog from the Asterix and Obelix comics.
The four-wheeled rover, about the size of a microwave oven, is expected to be the first to land on Phobos and spend about 100 days there. It will move at a speed of just one millimeter per second. The MMX spacecraft itself will remain on the surface for approximately two hours to collect 10 grams of soil.
Previously, the USSR, and later Russia, attempted three times to send spacecraft to Phobos that were supposed to land on its surface. Only the "Phobos-2" spacecraft succeeded in reaching Mars' moon and transmitting images to Earth in 1989. However, none of those missions concluded with a successful landing.
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