H3 Rocket Successfully Launches Mars Moon Probe

Oct 20, 2026 | News On Japan

KAGOSHIMA - Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the morning of October 20th, placing the probe into its planned orbit in the first stage of a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons and return them to Earth.

The H3 rocket's 10th flight lifted off at precisely 4:41:03 a.m., carrying the MMX spacecraft into space. Approximately one hour and 11 minutes after launch, the rocket successfully deployed the probe into its designated orbit, completing the launch mission as planned.

The MMX spacecraft is expected to take approximately one year to reach the vicinity of Mars, where it will conduct an exploration mission targeting Phobos, one of the planet's two natural satellites.

During the mission, the spacecraft is scheduled to collect samples of sand, rocks, and other surface materials from Phobos. The samples are expected to be returned to Earth in 2031, approximately five years after launch.

If successful, the mission will mark the world's first return of samples from a Martian moon, representing a major achievement in planetary exploration.

Scientists hope the materials collected from Phobos will provide valuable evidence about the origins of Mars' moons and contribute to a better understanding of how they formed.

Source: TBS

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