H3 Rocket on Mission to Collect Rocks From Mars Moon

Oct 19, 2026 | News On Japan

KAGOSHIMA - Japan will launch its H3 rocket No. 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:41 a.m. on October 20, carrying a spacecraft designed to collect rocks and sand from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, and return them to Earth in what would be the world's first successful mission of its kind.

The spacecraft is part of Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) project, a national space exploration program led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The mission aims to collect samples of sand, rocks and other materials from the surface of Phobos, which orbits Mars approximately 300 million kilometers from Earth at the distance cited for the mission. The samples are scheduled to be returned to Earth in 2031, five years after the launch.

If successful, the mission would mark the first time that material collected directly from a moon of Mars has been brought back to Earth, representing a major achievement in planetary exploration.

Yasuhiro Kawakatsu, JAXA's MMX project manager, emphasized the importance of carefully completing each stage of the mission. "We want to overcome each challenge one by one and make sure we reach the final stage of collecting samples," he said.

The H3 rocket, Japan's next-generation flagship launch vehicle, will play a critical role in sending the spacecraft on its journey toward Mars.

Makoto Arita, JAXA's H3 project manager, expressed determination to make the launch a success. "We want to make this 10th launch a success and turn it into a major milestone for the H3 rocket," he said.

The launch is scheduled for 4:41 a.m. on October 20 at the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, marking the beginning of a five-year mission that could establish a new milestone in the exploration of Mars and its moons.

Source: TBS

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