Japan is preparing to launch the Martian Moons Exploration mission on October 20, 2026, using an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. Led by JAXA, the unmanned spacecraft will study Phobos and Deimos, collect soil and rock samples, and return to Earth in 2031.
The Martian Moons Exploration mission, known as MMX, aims to unravel the long-standing mysteries surrounding the origins of Phobos and Deimos while shedding light on how rocky planets formed across the solar system. Led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the project includes international contributions from the French National Centre for Space Studies, the German Aerospace Center, and NASA.
Tanegashima Space Center Launch Schedule and the H3 Rocket
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced that its tenth H3 rocket will lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, located in southwestern Japan. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:41:03 AM local time on October 20, 2026. The vehicle serves as the primary launch system carrying the spacecraft toward its Martian destination.
After leaving Earth, the spacecraft will travel for approximately one year before entering orbit around Mars.
Phobos Sample Collection and the IDEFIX Rover
A core objective of the MMX project is to touch down on the surface of Phobos and gather physical specimens. The spacecraft will attempt to collect more than 10 grams of soil and rock from the moon. While the main orbiter handles sampling and storage, a joint French-German rover named IDEFIX will conduct surface observations, mapping, and geological surveys.
While Phobos receives a lander and a rover, the second Martian moon, Deimos, will be studied entirely from a distance. The spacecraft will execute a series of close flybys past Deimos to map its characteristics without attempting a landing.
Solving the Origin of Martian Moons and the Search for Water
Scientists remain divided on whether Phobos and Deimos formed from debris ejected after a massive impact on Mars or if they are captured asteroids pulled in by the Red Planet’s gravity. Resolving this question could clarify how volatile elements, organic material, and water reached the inner solar system.
Researchers view Phobos as a natural time capsule preserving pristine material from the earliest stages of planetary evolution. Beyond planetary science, the mission will evaluate whether Phobos could serve as a future staging base for deeper space exploration while measuring radiation levels around Mars.
Return Capsule Journey to Australia in 2031
Building on successful sample-return experience gained when its Hayabusa2 spacecraft retrieved material from asteroid Ryugu in 2020, the Japanese space agency designed the MMX mission with a precise return itinerary. After completing its observations in Martian orbit, the spacecraft will release a return capsule containing the collected soil.
The return capsule is scheduled to land in Australia in July 2031, completing an international scientific effort to unlock the history of the Martian environment.
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