Japan Embarks on Groundbreaking Mission to Retrieve Samples from Mars' Moon Phobos

10/20/2026

At least 10 grams of material from Phobos could be returned to Earth in 2031 Japan’s space agency has launched a mission aimed at becoming the first to land on one of Mars’ moons and return...

10/20/2026

Japan launched an H3 rocket carrying the MMX probe on a world-first mission to retrieve samples from Phobos, a moon of Mars, to help unlock the origins of the Solar System.

10/20/2026

Five of the world’s space agencies joined forces for the five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector plus a rover on Phobos, the larger and closer of Mars’ two pint-sized moons.

10/20/2026

The Martian Moons eXploration mission will study Phobos and Deimos before attempting to collect samples from Phobos and return them to Earth in 2031

10/20/2026

The mission aims to make Japan the first country to retrieve samples from a Martian moon. If successful, the spacecraft will reach Mars around August next year.