Japan’s MMX spacecraft begins journey to Mars

Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft began its journey toward Mars on Oct. 19 after launching aboard an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. The spacecraft separated from the rocket about 71 minutes after liftoff, marking the start of a mission to study Mars’s moons and attempt to return material from Phobos to Earth. The launch took place at 4:41 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Oct. 20, corresponding to 7:41 p.m. UTC on Oct. 19. JAXA reported that the spacecraft separated as planned and began its interplanetary journey. The launch and separation are completed; the exploration, sampling and return remain planned stages. The mission aims to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos and deliver it to Earth in 2031. No samples from either of Mars’s moons have previously been returned to Earth. The mission’s target and schedule depend on MMX completing its future operations. JAXA expects the spacecraft to reach the Mars system in 2027. It will study Phobos and observe Deimos, the planet’s smaller moon. Before MMX attempts to collect a sample, it plans to deploy Idefix, a rover developed by French and German partners, to...