Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft lifted off on an H3 rocket at 4:41 a.m. Japan time on October 20, 2026, from the Tanegashima Space Center. The JAXA-led mission will study Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars, and aims to bring at least 10 grams of material from Phobos back to Earth.
Why sample Phobos?
Measurements of the moons and laboratory analysis of material from Phobos may help scientists distinguish between competing explanations for how the moons formed, including capture of asteroid material and formation from debris after an impact on Mars. The mission plan calls for roughly five years from launch to return.
