Japan Launches MMX Mission with European-Built Rover Bound for Mars’ Phobos moon

Japan Launches MMX Mission with European-Built Rover Bound for Mars’ Phobos moon

JAXA has successfully launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission aboard an H3 rocket, beginning a five-year journey to explore Mars’ two moons and return samples to Earth. The H3 Flight No. 10 vehicle lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center on October 20 at 4:41 a.m. Japan Standard Time, with JAXA confirming that MMX separated from the rocket and entered orbit approximately 71 minutes later. The mission aims to return the first samples collected from a moon of Mars.